Proof of Concept

YOU COULDN’T REALLY blame Bryan Beller for playing it safe. Despite his talent and high-profile gigs with the likes of Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and the Aristocrats, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the bass savant. He’s had his ups and downs, and thought about packing it in. But these days, he’s finally hitting his stride, and, metaphorically speaking, he’s settling into a groove.

So what’s his prudent, non-boat-rocking game plan? To make an 18-song, 88-minute concept album, of course.

(Onion Boy Records) isn’t just the least likely course of action for a working musician. It’s also a dramatic, spectacular musical journey that explores the heavy and the subtle, acoustic and electric, and — to borrow a phrase — light and shade. It features, first and foremost, Beller’s deep compositional skills, maintaining and even riveting the listener’s