Posts Tagged ‘active rock’
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Front man Malcolm Guess of the band KAURA (pronounced Kay-Aura) chatted with Metal Army America recently about their just released album That Which Defines Us. Malcom’s intellect and intensity at describing the creative process should be no surprise to anyone who has heard his bands’ haunting, multifaceted music. He touched on a variety of subjects that give a deeper look into the workings of this up and coming band.
MAA: That Which Defines Us just came out. How has the band evolved in the last few years between records?
MG: There are a few central concepts that form the base of what KAURA is, so I think, as we continue to explore and expand on those concepts they’ve become more crystallized. The vision for this band is something akin to an ice block that we keep chipping away at to get to the sculpture that we see in our minds eye. Each new song we create is different corner, edge or surface of that sculpture that we explore and refine. The more we chip away at it I think we get better at revealing what’s we’ve always known to be beneath.
 In a short span of time KAURA has opened up for TOOL, ROB ZOMBIE, A PERFECT CIRCLE and others on the west coast.
MAA: Some of the new album was recorded with Sylvia Massey. What was it like working with her?
MG: Sylvia is great! She’s such a sweet person who’s also exceptionally talented. She’s built an amazing studio facility…actually more like village. She’s expanded her Radiostar studios to encompass several buildings in the small town of Weed where it’s located. Her studios, her staff, her husband and herself all make the Radiostar experience immensely pleasurable and super creative. Although we didn’t leave the tracking room much but when we did, just being able to step outside and take in the sight of the snow-capped mountain of Mount Shasta was really inspiring.
MAA: You can hear a lot of the modern influences of the band. Who are some of the more obscure or unusual influences on KAURA people might not realize?
MG: I think for each of us it’s different, but for me I have a few that have been really influential. The band MACHA, who’s no longer together, was a great band. Their first two records were really inspiring for me. I also really draw inspiration from soundtracks like The Last of the Mohicans, Les Miserables and the DAFT PUNK Tron Legacy score. I think that relates to where I get most of my inspiration from which is my experiences of traveling to places like Nepal, Laos, Bali etc. The landscapes are so epic that when just being present in those places and taking in the vast beauty of the surroundings, music just starts playing in my head. It’s like there’s a little composer in my head creating a score to my experience while in the moment living it. It’s always these super majestic, sweeping, enrapturing melodies and songs that I guess would be most closely described as being like the soundtracks I mentioned.
MAA: Where do you get your lyrical inspiration from?
MG: Like every lyricist, I draw my inspiration from my experiences, but I think to rephrase the question by answering with my choice in how I go about choosing what things to sing about or what my approach is, might be more meaningful. I’m not really interested in singing about trivial stuff like…what he said to me…or what he did to me or things like that. That’s all just transient, incidental stuff that comes and goes which doesn’t have much depth in and of itself, in my opinion. I’d rather focus on the evolution that might come from experiences like that…the awakening that transpires from situations of hurt or pain or love and joy. I tend to gravitate towards singing about more universal topics of substance. If I’m gonna have to sing a song for years to come I don’t want be singing about silly stuff or some girlfriend from 10 years ago or whatever.
MAA: What is the status of your acoustic album/DVD?
MG: Well we did a Kickstarter campaign just this past month and raised 114% of our goal which is fantastic! We’re super grateful and excited to finally be able to wrap up the production on it and get it out there. We should be finished with it by December if there aren’t any technical snags along the way.
MAA: The band has been very skilled at social media early in its career. Why do you feel that is so important?
MG: It’s the lifeline to our fans! With the architecture of the music business changing by the day, the one thing that will always be necessary is our connection to our fans. Social media is the channel that we use to stay connected. We’re not with a label or an entity that handles the throughput of information between us and the rest of the world so we handle it ourselves. I’ll be honest in saying that it’s a blessing and a curse. There’s been many times where we’ve had to spend more time on the social media and promotional aspect of the band than actually making music but that’s a part of the process. If we make the most killer tunes ever but don’t create a means by which to share it; it’ll never be heard beyond the walls of our studio. It can get to be a lot of tedious work at times but it’s all very necessary.
MAA: What is the origin of the bands’ name?
MG: It started with me just fishing for a name or sound that would describe the feeling of what Kaura’s music would sound like. No word or name that already existed fit that description so I just started putting together sounds phonetically. I came up with masculine sound of “K” combined with the softer, feminine sound of “aura”; which felt to me to capture the energetic dynamics of what the music would impart. I ended up looking up KAURA to see if there was anything out there with that name. It turned out that it’s an Indian name which describes the person that it’s given to as being someone who feels or experiences things beyond words. I was pretty amazed by what I found and was like ‘yeah, if there’s anything that I’d like for people to experience when listening to our music, it would be that!’ So it all made sense and we kept it. Although, since that time I’ve also been told that it’s the name of a beer they have in Finland.
MAA: What are the touring plans for the band for the near future?
MG: We’re hoping to do a west coast tour this winter to follow up the release of the album. Stay tuned for more details!
(Special thanks to KAURA, Malcolm Guess and Adrenaline PR)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, composing, DRAFT PUNK, KAURA, Keefy, Kickstarter, MACHA, metal interviews with Keefy, movie themes, musicals, philosophy, prog influenced metal, singer/guitarist Malcolm Guess, sound track albums, That Which Defines Us, touring, travel
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Monday, October 17th, 2011
Metal Army caught up Clint Lowery of SEVENDUST at this years Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Tour. Clint talked about being a veteran band, addressed breakup rumors and was very reflective and humble about his entire career during our chat.
 Clint Lowery rocks the second stage at UPROAR 2011
MAA: You guys are headlining the second stage here on UPROAR. What can the fans expect from the show tonight?
CL: We only get thirty minutes so there are not a lot of bells and whistles we can pull out on something like this. They can expect thirty minutes of intense, aggressive music. There is not much we can pull out with a compact stage and set. It will be a fairly standard set. We’ve got quite a bit of the new record to play on this tour. It’s good to play the newer songs. It feels good. I mean obviously we’ve spent fifteen years in the band playing the old songs and we love those songs, but on this tour we are packing in the Cold Day Memory songs.
 Cold Day Memory came out in April of 2010
MAA: The band is doing some headline dates on the off dates. How does the band stay motivated to work that hard at this point?
CL: You could ask the same question to someone that does construction or owns a business. It’s not uncommon for someone to do that job for 15-25 years. This is kind of the same thing. The only thing is you sacrifice a lot of your family time doing this. The thing that keeps us up is that fans keep coming out to see us and people are still interested. It is actually baffling to us. We know the shelf life for a band is really short term. For us to be around and still be somewhat relevant, it’s pretty amazing!
MAA: How does the band choose a set list?
CL: That is probably the hardest thing we have to do as far as a collective decision. Sometimes we rest on our laurels a bit. The more we add that we haven’t played in a long time, the more we try to change it up, the more time we rehearse , then the more time we stay away from home. That kind of pushes up into kind of a lazy action with it. We just try to cover it like the first album and the second album or one song off of each album sometimes. When we look back at a set list we ask ‘did we at least include a song off of every album?’ Sometimes we skip an album. Next year we are gonna try to tour and put together a really long set list.
MAA: Will the band do another full headline tour before going back in the studio?
CL: We’ll do some headline shows before the end of the year, but in terms of a real, full bore tour it will be next year sometime. We are gonna really try to think ahead and put a great package together.
MAA: The band caused an controversy recently when a Tweet from the band account stated that the band is considering retirement. Do you care to address that?
CL: That basically stems from the fact the not only do we need a break from this and rejuvenate and open up a new chapter in our lives, but I think also the people can stand a little break. We don’t want to over saturate the people. We wanna get away for a little while and make it more a special event when people come to see us. We go to each major city two, three times a year sometimes. We understand we don’t go to Europe, or anywhere abroad much. So we don’t want to overstay our welcome. Ultimately we’re gonna do another record. We are gonna put a lot of heart into it, tour on it, be around another year and a half after that and then probably talk about hanging it up for a while. It could be permanent, it could be three or four years or it could be one year. We’re gonna see what we are feeling with each other at that point. That’s along time and that’s a lot more shows. We’re still gonna be around until then.
MAA: Have you begun writing songs for the next album?
CL: Not really, we’re just out on the road. There’s a couple of ideas going around. There is one thing Morgan and I have been putting together that is where we wanna go musically that could dictate the direction of the next record. We know the direction we’re going to go musically. Vocally we still need to figure that out. We haven’t gotten to work yet and really opened the shop yet and really start digging in. We’ve got a lot of pressure on ourselves to do a really great record. I like feeling that kind of pressure. I like the feeling of writing a ‘last’ record and doing it for ourselves and to support our families. We want to give the people an honest SEVENDUST record.
 Check out Clint's solo project HELLO DEMONS, MEET SKELETONS at http://www.clintlowery.net/
MAA: What inspires you?
CL: I think what inspires me now is different than what inspired me when I first started. Now it’s about a survival thing. I love how music makes me feel, the escapism of it. What inspires me now is the challenge of not repeating myself, not doing the same strategy over and over arrangement-wise or production-wise. It’s important to stat true to who you are. You can’t turn from metal to country overnight. We need to do what we do best, together. There are so many different things I pull for individual topics and lyrics for songs. Other bands, older bands still doing it and young bands doing it now, it’s all inspiring.
MAA: Since we have spent this time looking back on your career, do you have single defining moment or a favorite show ever?
CL: A lot of times you will hear us say Woodstock `99. That was fun! Being a part of that was cool. But now there is no particular show, but I would say the last four years for me have been really monumental being able to tour and be sober. Those have been all amazing. I can remember them all now. I mean I remember Woodstock pretty well, but now I really appreciate it. They move me, all of them. It’s all really special to me now.
(Special thanks to Clint Lowery, SEVENDUST, THE 2011 UPROAR TOUR and ABC-PR.)
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, Clint Lowery, John Connolly, lajon witherspoon, metal, Morgan Rose, power grooves, Sevendust, the music business, the shelf life of bands, touring life, UPROAR TOUR, Vincent Hornsby
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Monday, October 17th, 2011
I went down to Hartford to see the UPROAR Feestival at the Comcast Theater. Honestly I half expected a mixed bag of a few real metal bands and a majority of radio friendly active rock bands capped off by AVENGED SEVENFOLD, who I really like. Recognizing that I am not UPROAR’s key demographic (by a long shot) I went into the day without too many high expectations. That being said the turnout was impressive for a hot day in early September. While smaller in scale than Mayhem Festival or even past Ozzfests were, this scrappy little tour had a good crowd, having some fine bands, a good fairway of diverse vendors and an amazing crew of staff (both venue and tour personnel). The fact that this day was the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks would weigh heavily on all the artists on this day and as it turns out, the crowd as well.
 ART OF DYING was an early surprise.... Since I was busy handling some early day interviews I missed most of HELL OR HIGHWATER, the new band from Brandon Sallor of ATREYU fame. Just last summer I saw them at the 2010 Mayhem Fest and 2011 has seen Sallor move on fully. I really didn’t catch much of the music, but it sounded like a more straight up pop rock experience than his previous metalcore flavored band. People seemed to be into it and they seemed to know the songs which was cool. The first band I caught a full set of was ART OF DYING. These guys surprised me. Apart from their debut video “Die Trying” I really didn’t know the band at all. Even though they are definitely interested in radio friendly rock anthems, they wrote solid songs, have enough heaviness to pass muster and are excellent performers. Singer Jonny Hetherington does his best AXL ROSE/STEVEN TYLER/JOSHUA TODD whiskey swilling front man act and has the pipes and the bravado to back that up. The entire band is pretty solid, notably guitarist Greg Bradley. In addition to the opener “Straight Across My Mind” and the single, their set was pretty much what you would expect from this type of band. Several rock songs, a ballad (‘get your lighters out’) and back to rocking again was their format and it worked. Oh the entire band sings backing harmonies too, which also impressed me. I know they have gotten some push because they are on DISTURBED’s vanity label and their bassist has a cousin in THREE DAYS GRACE, but I feel like these guys are at the end of the day, a solid band. If classic rock inspired modern bands are your thing, these guys are a good bet for a fun show.
 "HARTFORD! Let me see those hands!" BLACK TIDE was up next and there was a considerable buzz in the venue for the band. Although their new album Post Mortem (DGC/Interscope) has divided their older and newer fans, they are a still great live act. They owned the second stage like it was the main stage with dramatic style and some killer platforms to perform on. Opening up with the neo-thrash anthem “Warriors of Time” they definitely tore the lid off the place. Everybody young and old participated in the massive sing-a-long parts and it was a lot of fun. Front man Gabe Garcia and Austin Diaz split the impressive lead guitars and shared several excellent harmony sols as well. The song is so cool and catchy you wonder why they had the urge to switch up their style at all. Gabe has developed into a strong singer and he easily carries a lot of songs on his back. Second cut “Bury Me” is another uptempo rocking song full of riffs, licks and good gang vocals. Steven Spence has become almost the co-star of the band with his powerful drumming, dynamic performance and great backing vocals. Their new single “That Fire” was next and although I wasn’t crazy about the change of pace, the crowd ate it up leading me to believe the band knows what it is doing by sticking a rudder in calmer seas. They finished up strong with their closer “Walking Dead Man” which again features some excellent playing and shredding solos by Gabe. It will be interesting to watch the continued development of the band and which road they end up on. My vote is for them to stay on the heavier side of things, that is for sure.
 BLACK TIDE puts on a great show live.
SEVENDUST was up next and I was really excited to see them again. They always put out consistent albums and terrific live shows. In a true and just world SEVENDUST would be one of the headline acts on this day and not under some of the other bands on the bill. The side stage area was totally full now as they awaited the last band of this part of the day. They came out to their intro music and took their places in a fairly customary style and the crowd seemed really thrilled. Starting off with “Splinter” from the excellent Cold Day Memory (Atlantic) they got the crowd immediately jumping and their trademark high-energy was already there. The song leads off with a guitar lick, almost a harmonized melo-death style theme before the good old 7D crunching riffs and beats come in. The band has been through a lot and they defintiely appreciated the wave of love from Hartford. Singer Lajon Witherspoon pretty much runs the game from his spot center stage. He definitely commands the masses with his out-sized voice and personality. The band has really made their career on the ability to turn out an awesome live spectacle with just voices, instruments, heart and soul. The second track “Praise” is the big radio song from earlier in their career and also went over big. I’d prefer the band play some of the older material, but after over a decade and a half I know the band has a challenge with what to play night after night. Continuing to keep the energy up high the band next played “’Forever” with its grinding riffs and spastic beats. Both Clint Lowery and John Connolly sing and play guitar, contributing to the bands wall of sound approach. The chorus of the song and power groove beats are huge and a lot of fun. Morgan Rose is one of the finer performers in all of metal, playing his ass off behind the kit and singing lead 20-25% of the time in the band. More screaming courtesy of Morgan came on “Pieces”. Lajon talked about what it means to have the fans in their corner and gave shout outs to some Hells Angels in the crowd as well as talking about 9/11 too. He was clearly choked up the rest of their set, but he managed to keep it together for a few more songs. They finished up really strong with “The End is Coming” and “Face To Face” and they went out on a high note with fans chanting for an encore that never came. At least Morgan jumped into the crowd from the stage, about six feet across to the pit area and crowd-surfed on the way out.
 An emotional LaJon Witherspoon connects with the crowd. Set List:
Splinter
Praise
Forever
Pieces
The End Is Coming
Face To Face
As I made my way over to the main stage in the amphitheater ESCAPE THE FATE was finishing their set. Sort of a cross between screamo and deathcore, they would be a good fit for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA set. They certainly had their own heads in the place and were another band I heard and was wondering if they were really very popular and I just don’t know it, me coming over from more raging waters. After their set there was a Miss Uproar contest that I think went over the heads of some of the younger crowd. It was MC’d by the ART OF DYING guys who were pretty funny at hassling and choosing the girls.
 BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE puts the metal in metalcore.
Next up was BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE from Wales, UK whom I saw last a few years ago. Even though they are on the commercial end of the metalcore spectrum, they have great taste in thrash bands to idolize and guitar skills for days. They are always enjoyable live and do a great job of getting the crow to go off. I thought it was interesting that they had quite an elaborate stage set up for the second band on the main stage. It kind of reminded me of METALLICA’s Master of Puppets set a little bit and I think the nod was on purpose. Nice to see that the tour really holds production values up high considering the times we are in. When the bands theme music started to play it was like a wave of people down in front were awakened and started moshing before the band ever started to play. The came on stage beginning with “Your Betrayal” they were on fire! Lead screamer Matt Tuck has a very commanding stage presence and led the band through a mainly hits orientated set lit. Tuck and Michael Paget do a nice job of trading licks and leads all set long. “Pleasure and Pain” is a solid follow up and the crowd seemed to be into it despite the band having only toured the USA a few times. Songs like “Waking the Demon” and “The Last Fight” are more what I have in mind with a boat load of thrash riffs, screamed verses and catchy chorus parts. The rhythm section of Jason Johnson on bass and Michael Thomas on drums is solid and both guys are fine performers. After a guitar solo piece by Paget the band played their best and most popular track, “Scream, Aim, Fire”. Since this was the song the band is known for, everybody in the amphitheater really got into the sing- a-long end of things. After a few more tracks to jam out on, the band was done as fast as they arrived. I really thought they had done a good job of leaving a lasting impression on the fans.
Set List:
Your Betrayal
Pleasure and Pain
Waking The Demon
The Last Fight
Guitar Solo
Scream, Aim, Fire
Tears Don’t Fall
Begging For Mercy
I have never really been into either SEETHER or THREE DAYS GRACE and neither did anything to change my mind tonight. I will say SEETHER stunned me with both their remarkable stage show (effects and design) and the fact that they were a lot heavier than I remembered. The few songs I know by them I have probably heard in bars or a party once. They were not spectacular to me, but if I was like ten years old when NIRVANA broke big in 1991, I would totally heart these guys a lot. By comparison THREE DAYS GRACE was awful. I can’t believe a) these guys have been around this long and b) people in the venue were losing their minds to these dudes like they were the second coming of ZEPPELIN or SABBATH. Wow, the youth of today needs a musical colonic irrigation in a bad way, stat!
After walking around the venue for a while and trying to cleanse my mind and ears before the rest of the show, the changeover began for AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s gear. Before they hit the stage however, there was a cool ceremony to honor the men and women of this country. In honor of 9/11 the band along with UPROAR festival founders and local rock station WCCC helped raise $11,000 to go to the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation and The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Both groups were presented with checks while and an color guard saluted them and held a moment of silence for fallen heroes. All this took place with the backdrop of a giant American flag behind them. I’m not one for overt displays of patriotism, but it was hard not to be moved by this classy show of support. It was a pretty solemn moment in the middle of a good time, but an important one to make on this day of all days.
 Give thanks..... and never forget.
After a large curtain was hoisted to cover the front of the stage the final preparations were made for the band. As the opening strains of “Nightmare” played the curtain fell and the band hit the stage. Bombs exploded and fire spouted as the massive stage set was unveiled. It was almost too surreal to take in. With skulls everywhere, skull risers for the band to jump on and off of, a skull drum enclosure towards the back and of course a giant “Devilbat” that shot out fire and loomed large over everything it was a sight to behold. People often don’t believe me when I tell them that A7X has ascended to the class of an IRON MAIDEN or a METALLICA when it comes to a visual live performance. Trust me, they have. Meanwhile the band itself was also on fire playing the kick off song of their show. They were always tight live, but have been especially so since the loss of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, perhaps to continue repping his legacy. “Nightmare” is almost like a greatest bits type of track, with everything and the kitchen sink tossed in as far as what this band is capable of. Singer M. Shadows stalked the stage and sounded great. Both guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance traded licks and solos equally well although Syn does the majority of the leads. Filling in for the ubiquitous by his absence Sullivan is Arin Ilejay (CONFIDE) who did a yeoman job all night long. The band held a fan poll to choose the set lists prior to the tour so hearing an oldie like “Chapter Four” wasn’t a total surprise. Still, it was pretty awesome since it is one of the tracks the band built their legacy on. Since the band slowly went away from their original screamy-metalcore sound to a more rock and heavy metal formula, they have played less of those original songs at times. Nice to hear them make a bit of a comeback now. “Welcome to The Family” followed next and was another strong track. Shadows does a great job of holding down is parts with a snarling rasp. ”Almost Easy” is another song with guitar porno moments in it and even if you are not a fan of the band, you have to give them credit for writing such catchy and heavy tunes. The middle of the set list was a bit sappy and sentimental with songs like “Seize The Day”, ”Afterlife” (dedicated to the Rev) and M.I.A. for which Shadows dedicated to the troops still fighting wars overseas: the fallen, ones lost and the ones who made it back home.
 M. Shadows and Synyster Gates welcome you to the family.
As the set and the long day into night started to come to a close, the band again surprised me with tracks like “God Hates Us” and “A Little Piece of Heaven”. Not surprises in the traditional sense mind you, but in the context of this set list it was good to hear the band feel free to include any song they have done. This is another step in the maturation process for them and its good to hear/see. Closing out on the aggro tip they finished up strong with a raucous run through of “Bat Country” and their standard closer “Unholy Confessions”.
 Zacky Vengeance shreds, sings back up.
Set List:
Nightmare
Chapter Four
Welcome to the Family
Almost Easy
Seize the Day
Afterlife
M.I.A.
God Hates Us
A Little Piece of Heaven
Bat Country
Unholy Confessions
Words and photos by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Tour, active rock, ART OF DYING, avenged sevenfold, BLACK TIDE, bullet for my valentine, Escape the Fate, hard rock, Keefy, mainstream music, metalcore, neo-thrash, Sevendust, wannabe grunge
Posted in Live Show Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, October 17th, 2011
Exit To Transfer (Ninetone/Membrane Records/MRI-RED)
Sweden is often known as the land of melodic death metal, symphonic metal, black metal and many other styles. The up and coming talents in CORRODED and their brand of music and might have to get tagged on to that diverse list. The band has been making inroads in their homeland and the rest of Europe and now seemed poised to make a statement on our shores as well. Released in Sweden a year ago, the now available for wide release version of Exit To Transfer is full of arena ready rockers and heavy enough for discerning tastes.
Opening up with their acclaimed single “Age of Rage” the track just explodes in your ears and is as infectiously catchy as it it is hard. The marching swing of the drums and main riff should be an immediate crowd pleaser in a live setting. The song is in a way a global anthem for the unrest going on everywhere. No wonder the track was used in Electronic Arts (EA Games) free-to-play First Person Shooter game, Battlefield Play4Free. Straddling the line between active rock, grunge influences and 90′s metal – the track is a winner. Upon the first listen one is captivated by the impressive vocal stylings of guitarist Jens Westin. His brooding croon and terrific melodic range are on display early and often. “My Hollow Shell” is another fun, rocking cut and features an amazing sing-a-long chorus part. Along with Westin, his co-guitarist Peter Sjödin consistently churn out riff after riff in every song. “It’s Up To You” is an uptempo jam with cool riffs and reminds me a little of middle-era HELMET. Jens again just blazes on his lead singing parts. “Dust” has a cool syncopated main riff and has some interesting ear candy going on in the guitars. Per Soläng is solid behind the kit and drives the track with his propulsive beats. “Piece By Piece” is one of the best tracks here, full of moxie and character. The main riff is awesome and has a neat sub-part flavored by a subtle wah-wah pedal. “I Am Your Savior” is a sinister sounding jam with intense lyrics to match the music. Other tracks of note are “The One”, the harsh sounding “Forget About Me” and boogie of “The Scars, The Wounds”. CORRODED is a band right in the wheelhouse of the fan with a taste for both SOUNDGARDEN and GODSMACK, all carried by Westin’s distinct and killer voice.
 CORRODED in 2011- Ready to rock out. GRADE: B
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, Alice In Chains, Battlefield Play4Free, CORRODED, Disturbed, drummer Per Soläng, Electronic Arts (EA Games) free-to-play First Person Shooter game, Exit To Transfer, godsmack, grunge, guitarist Peter Sjödin, hard rock, Helmet, Keefy, Membrane Records, MRI/RED), Ninetone, singer/guitarist Jens Westin, Soundgarden, Swedish Metal, “Age of Rage”
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Corey Beaulieu, the lead guitarist for TRIVIUM took some time to chat with us back stage at this year’s ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL. We talked mainly about their process of making their new record In Waves (Roadrunner) which came out on August 9th.
 TRIVIUM dropped their new album In Waves in August.
MAA: What is more fun: the side stage or the main stage?
CB: Today is our first show on the main stage. We have done other tours where we played the main stage and it sucked because nobody else was there. But this is gonna be pretty cool because from what I’ve seen even during the first band, the main stage has been pretty packed in. There are a portion of fans that don’t even go to the side stages and half the crowd just goes to the main stage. So they are just waiting there for the main stage to start and we will get to play for a few thousand more people than normal. The more people the better and we love playing on the bigger stage. We have been chomping at the bit waiting for our turn to play the main stage. So we will try to impress everybody. (laughs)
MAA: How is the new material meshing with the older tracks from in the set list?
CB: It works great! Even though the songs are on the Internet, and as big as the Internet is, or how big people think the Internet is; it’s kind of cool that people are unaware that we have new songs out. Even people that are fans. So we’ve been playing the stuff. A lot of people have been getting into the songs and learn `em which his cool. On the side stage we played two new songs. Today for the main stage we’re going at switch it up. We will do a slightly different set for the main stage which is cool, with a different songs that we think will go over really well with more singing and the bigger PA. So it will be really cool.
MAA: What can fans expect from In Waves when it comes out?
CB: It’s just a full on fucking metal TRIVIUM album. It has a lot of diversity. We think this album really defines what we are. We have taken our sound, everything we have ever done and expanded on it even more. We just made our own little world going on that sounds like TRIVIUM. It will showcase everything we do well. You have to listen to it as a whole because there is lots of shit going on. Everybody stepped it up to another level individually, performance wise and what we do as a band. We really got to capture what our band is all about on record.
MAA: As far as record producers go what is Colin Richardson like to work with compared to Jason Suecoff or Nick Raskulinicz?
CB: He’s very detail orientated. Other records we have done we used record and then go back later on and re-track guitars or re amp them and fix things. Just get it tracked and then go back and fix the important details later. On this record we spent six days getting drum sounds and four days getting guitar sounds before we ever recorded a note. It was really inspiring to record the entire time with killer sounding instruments. Just the way it sounded made us play better. We really tried to nail down what we wanted the record to sound like it was supposed to from the very beginning instead of at the end. It helped bring out all the intensity and emotion and really helped us get what we had in our heads out of us and on to the record. Colin is amazing with tones. He and his team were instrumental in helping us make the best sounding record we could. Sonically we were able to make the best sounding record we have every put out.
MAA: Did you and Matt add any interesting new guitar techniques to your repertoire to prepare for the album?
CB: I think this record is really cool because we really tried to find our own individual niche on this one. Matt felt his best attribute for the solos was the more simple, soulful solos. He felt we really needed to separate our styles more. I did what I normally do and he changed mostly. Matt went the more melodic route, just more simple tasteful solos. I just wanted to craft really strong solos, not about being the fastest or how technical you could play. It was about being more memorable, hooky and better overall. Some of the solos are very fast with with quick little parts so you had to come up with something cool to make an impact. Some shit off the top of your head just kind of happened and I was like “I can’t believe I really thought of that!” The only thing I added was some crazy, wacky tapping shit, like some Guthrie Govan stuff that I learned right before we recorded. And I thought “Well I’ll try that!” and it just worked out. There is some really difficult, blazing fast string-skipping stuff that is really hard to do. Everything I just normally did before, I’ve gotten better at. I definitely played the best leads I’ve done and got the best tone too. Definitely more advanced and mature. (laughs)
 TRIVIUM will be supporting their label mates DREAM THEATER on tour this fall.
MAA: Who is the guitar player on Mayhem Fest in your opinion that you want to watch everyday?
CB: It has to be MEGADETH, hands down. MEGADETH is my favorite band ever. The Rust In Peace album change my life when I was a lot younger. I had never heard lead guitar playing like that before. Marty Friedman is one of my main idols, but Chris Broderick plays that shit really perfectly. Even though Friedman is not here anymore, Broderick is unreal at guitar. And Dave Mustaine is Dave, he’s the fucking man. I have easily watched MEGADETH more than any other band and if I can’t watch their entire set because I have other shit going on, I try to catch at least part of it. Broderick is such a sick guitarist, he makes me feel like I suck when I watch him. He’s just ridiculous, just sickeningly good.
(Thanks to Corey and Roadrunner Records)
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, catchy songs, Chris Broderick, Dave Mustaine, guitar solos, guitar techniques, Guthrie Govan, heavy anthems, In Waves, Keefy, lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu, main stage versus side stage, Marty Friedman, Matt Heafy, maturation process, Mayhem Festival, Megadeth, metalcore, new songs played live, producer Colin Richardson, recording, roadrunner, rust in peace, songwriting, the Internet, thrash
Posted in Feature Interviews, Interviews | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Igniter (CI/Decadent Suite Records)
Nobody will ever accuse Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s AN EARLY ENDING of not understanding irony or taking anything for granted. The metalcore loving five-some was on tour in 2009 when their van was in a head on collision that was nearly fatal to the entire band and their crew. Joke all you want, but there is a certain fragility to life on the road and people who play music for a living often never think of the worst case scenario until they are faced with life or death choices. In the meantime the band dusted themselves off and hit the comeback trail. In the tradition of comeback stories they have put out their next full length, Igniter, certainly shaped by their experiences.
After the dramatic opening of the album intro the band slams into the title track with abandon. Playing a mix of metalcore and active rock, the band is quite tuneful and melodic. When they kick their more metal style of riffs, front man Alex Runk shifts from his high singing voice to quite a good hardcore guttural vocal style. He has a deep, bassy growl that gives the band most of its toughness. The song is what you would expect with catchy choruses and a breakdown. Second track “I Won’t Illuminate This” has some interesting elements added to the bands core style including some studio effects and programming tricks. Runk again is the focal point. The are some cool colors added by guitarist Greg Hildebrand that add to the quality of the song. The breakdown shifts back and forth between heavy and melodic. Drummer Logan Summey is solid and lays down a strong foundation for the band. “Dead Eyes” is the albums most brutal track with cool metallic riffage. The big sweeping chorus comes in and lifts the track up a notch with some great double tracked lead vocals. Conversely “Only Way” is the albums most catchy, yet least metal song. It is closer to pop punk than anything with an edge. Next cut “Breath” is much stronger and has a lot of cross over elements. The band is not short on talent, but this is where the album seemed a bit repetitive to me. “Powerless Monster” is the third best song on the album with an excellent main riff, another huge sing-a-long refrain and some more fine guitar antics. “Home (The End)” is the albums closer and has some interesting elements going on with piano and some weird effects. Despite being fairly middle of the road musically, there are some fine songs on here and good performances overall. A solid return for AEE who will likely go on to make some major inroads with the cool kids set due to their ability to write great melodies.
GRADE: B-
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, AN EARLY ENDING, breakdowns, catchy melodies, CI/Decadent Suite Records, double tracked vocals, drummer Logan Summey, front man Alex Runk, guitarist Greg Hildebrand, guttural growls, Igniter, Keefy, melodic singing, metal-core, pop-punk, sing-a-long parts, sweeping choruses
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Post Mortem (DGC/Interscope)
This is definitely the week when every single neo-thrash bands new album has landed at my feet, on my desk or in my inbox as it would be. BLACK TIDE famously hit the scene as teenagers with Light From Above in 2008 with a lot of hype and major label clout behind them. The resulting backlash was to be expected due to their age and other factors, but along the way the band cut their teeth on the road and refused to be pigeon-holed by whoever decides who is cool and who is not. I respect the fact that they continue to improve and Post Mortem is the just the beginning of what I see as an evolution for the group. They are still so young and this is just album number two. The probability is that they will grow into an awesome band in due time, although for now they will have to settle for very good.
Starting things off with “Ashes” the band is in fine form. Alternately groovy and fast, it is a fine opening salvo. The track is plenty heavy, but really melodic and tuneful. This is a already a step forward from the band and the entire album benefits from these improved catchy melodies. Front man/guitarist Gabe Garcia leads the charge here on vocals and teams up with Matt Tuck of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE on the vocals and the results are great. I found the quality of this vocal very similar to what TRIVIUM is doing these days and I consider it a plus. Garcia has the occasional grit in his voice for metal, but for the most part focuses more now on melody. Second track “Bury Me” starts off with a really technical riff played by Garcia and Austin Diaz who also chimes in backing vocals too. The chorus has a very pronounced AVENGED SEVENFOLD vibe which also makes for a really cool mix between thrash and active rock. This track has a terrific break down and harmonized IRON MAIDEN style lead. However, instead of just being the sum of their influences there is some adventurous writing on these early songs that you need to tip your hat to. “Let it Out” is a rock song with metallic flourishes. Basically your old-school, third track as the power ballad trick. Back to the speed with “Honest Eyes” the band conjures up the sound of early years UNEARTH to excellent results. The verses are really tough sounding with cool intricate guitar parts and another sing-a-long chorus. It is a veritable wall of sound of guitars and vocals and it works. Garcia rips on the solo as well. Drummer Steven Spence is the unsung hero of the group, laying down a cool foundation of beats and playing what is required of him. Bassist Zack Sandler is solid as well. “That Fire” is the first left turn of the album. The song has a shuffle guitar part at the beginning of the cut that is a little folksy and a little bit funky. I didn’t know what to make of the track until after Garcia crooned the refrain and the song became a stomping rocker with some powerful lead vocals just to change it up some more. The band may have pushed the needle too far in the other direction sometimes with songs like the LINKIN PARK-ish “Fight Til the Bitter End”. To their credit they can totally pull off that kind of song, but I wasn’t too crazy of how it flows with the rest of the album. On the plus side, songs like “Take it Easy” and “Walking Dead Man” totally crush and are songs the band should consider adding to their live show, especially the latter one. For an album that has the same tittle as a SLAYER song, I was hoping for it to be harder overall. Rather than worry about measuring up to others standards, BLACK TIDE has gone out and made the record they wanted to make on their terms. A record their fans will no doubt enjoy.
 An older, more tuneful BLACK TIDE in 2011.
GRADE: B
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, avenged sevenfold, bassist Zack Sandler, BLACK TIDE, bullet for my valentine, DGC/Interscope, drummer Steven Spence, guest vocals by Matt Tuck, guitarist Austin Diaz, harmonized lead guitars, Iron Maiden, Keefy, LINKIN PARK style pop songs, modern rock, neo-thrash, Post Mortem, power grooves, sing-a-long chorus, singer/guitarist Gabe Garcia, slayer, unearth
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Monday, August 29th, 2011
Dum Spiro Spero (Firewall/Sony/SMEJ)
As has occasionally been detailed here on Metal Army it is impossible to talk about the history of rock and metal without giving bands from Japan their due. Even before KISS went over in the 1970s and brought American cock rock with them, Japan has been a hotbed of creativity and talent in music. Going back through my life there have been countless cool bands some underground and some very popular worth your time and and ear- respect. Bands like glam kings LOUDNESS, the legendary epic metal of X-JAPAN, BUCK-TICK and more recently groups such as BORIS and SIGH have gotten me excited. Another band making waves is DIR EIN GREY which incorporates some of the best of elements of their forerunners blended with their own unique perspective and feel. I really loved their last record Uroborus and this new one is a complete step up from that work. The album sounds very triumphant and considering that the band recently went through a lot following the recent earthquake/nuclear power plant incident this past March. They openly discussed their feelings on the matter which you can read here. Life is often much bigger than a metal album and whether it is good or not and I think this is especially apparent in the artistry of the band.
After the introduction of “ Kyoukotsu No Nari” which sounds like the eerie exposition of a horror movie. The music paints the picture in your mind as if the monster is about to hatch and kill you in the next second. The first full song “The Blossoming Beelzebub” starts with tribal drums and enchanting Gothic female singing and chants. The song builds slowly as each instrument stirs awake as if a terrible and great epic is unraveling. When the main riff kicks in it is a wash of squealed death vocals, harmonized guitars and thick bass lines. The song is very sinister sounding with vocalist Kyo unfolding his magnificent five-octave singing range. “Different Sense” begins like the most brutal tech death assault you can imagine couched with a modern sensibility as if CRYPTOPSY, DYING FETUS and SLIPKNOT got together for punch and pie and a jam session broke out. When the chorus shakes things up significantly with a goth rock sound that wouldn’t be out of place on a HIM album. A thrashy a prog metal middle section, complete with shredding guitar solos sends the track into the stratosphere. Kyo can do nearly anything with his malleable vocal chords from guttural growls, pig squeals and power metal singing. The rhythm section of Toshiya on bass and Shinya on drums sounds amazingly tight and grooving at all times. “Amon” is another evil sounding dirge. Starting off with a bit of sea-sick rhythms boiling over in to some good old fashioned progressive death metal. Again Toshiya’s bass is just popping and about as good as he has ever sounding. Arabic influenced scales mark the guitar work of Kaoru and Die and they just kill it dead with their chops. Some of the melodic harmonies in the second half of the song will call to mind ICX Vortex’s symphonic qualities in his work in DIMMU BORGIR. “Dreambox” follows next and is more like a active rock and metal power ballad. Collectively they have a terrific pop sense about them as heard on the beautiful “Vanats”. I can’t speak Japanese, but you can’t help but feel the emotional pull of the lyrics and vocal performances in every song. The title of the album, Dum Spiro Spero is Latin for “While I breathe, I hope” which again considering everything is a pretty remarkable concept. Some more of the female vocals again chirp in as they do through out the album to add color. Later in the song we get a cross between KORN (the bands first American benefactor) and steely grindcore. Each distinct part is well written and precise, always sounding organic and not like forced genre mash. “Jukoyu” or translated as “Animal Lust” is another one of Kyo’s darkly sexual tales of depravity. The song itself is a prog/funk/thrash and metalcore workout and once again you have a band that has no ceiling on what they won’t try. Other top songs include “Lotus”, “Diabolus” and “Decayed Crow”.
 DIR EN GREY: Fearless, limitless. GRADE: A
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, Arabic guitar scales, bassist Toshiya, Boris, BUCK-TICK, cryptopsy, Dimmu Borgir, DIR EN GREY, drummer Shinya, Dum Spiro Spero, dying fetus, enchanting Gothic female singing, evil chants, Firewall/Sony/SMEJ, funk metal, gothic, Grindcore, guitarist Die, guitarist/vocalist Kaoru, guttural growls, harmonized guitar solos, him, horror, ICX Vortex, Keefy, korn, loudness, making art from tragedy, metalcore, pig-squeals, power metal singing, pulsing bass lines, Sigh, Slipknot, tech death, thrash, tribal drums, Uroborus a, x-japan
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Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
In Waves (Roadrunner)
I will admit that I have liked something about every one of TRIVIUM’s albums up to now. Ember to Inferno (Lifeforce) started it off back in 2003. While they might have seemed like a novelty at the time (their relative youth, the budding neo-thrash movement, metalcore) they have grown a lot over the years into a solid act on record and an excellent live proposition. Front man Matt Heafy, who is still just twenty five years old, has become a very accomplished songwriter and vocalist in the preceding time. From his own band to projects like being one of the leaders of the Roadrunner United album, Heafy has been plotting a course in metal all pointing to this time and place in the bands career. Just prior to reviewing this new album I got to hear some of these new songs live for the first time at the Mayhem Festival. In Waves definitely continues the growth arc of the group.
With the opening piano and military drums of the intro of “Capsizing The Sea” you get a nice bit of drama to begin the album. They came on stage to this live before launching into the title track which is also the first single. The song is an uptempo chugging rocker with equal parts metalcore, modern metal and active rock. Heafy, to his credit has never apologized for having a great melodic singing voice nor should he. At the same time his screaming style, which he went away for a few albums has now been brought back en masse. He sounds super harsh and truly killer on these parts. The cool melodic verses and balls out hardness of the chorus is a nice change from the norm and I dig it. Heafy also doesn’t get enough credit for his introspective and philosophical lyrics. “Inception of The End” is a more thrash/melodic death metal inspired affair with even more light/dark vocal work played to full effect. The song has some of the best guitar riffs on the album between Matt and lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu. Both of them have continued to improve as lead players as evident by several striking solos on the album. Also, recent addition Nick Augusto is a big improvement on the drums over departed founding member Travis Smith. Augusto’s pounding rhythms and inventive beats have definitely helped the band step up more than in the past. There is even some blast beasts that show up for accents on some songs! “Dusk Dismantled” is another harsh song that was leaked early by the band and is already a big hit live. I definitely hear a LAMB OF GOD influence on this song and it surely one of the hardest, most straight up songs the band has ever done. The combination of growling lead vocals and hardcore backing vocals on the chorus is well done and it’s cool to see the band explore some new ground. “Watch the World Burn” is one of the more catchy songs on the album with an almost active rock verse. The infectious melodies can not be denied and I suspect this song will be a video/single at some point. This idea continues for the rest of the album with some radio friendly tunes like “Black” and second single “Built to Fall” mixed in with more tough songs like “A Skyline’s Severance” and “Drowning In Slow Motion”. I also like the acoustic guitar jamming of “Ensnare the Sun”. The bonus version of the album has many extra tracks like the God of War III video game song “Shattering the Skies Above” and a cover of SEPULTURA’s “Slave New World”.
GRADE: A-
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: active rock, bassist Paolo Gregoletto, blast beats, catchy songs, drummer Nick Augusto, Ember to Inferno, front man Matt Heafy, God of War III, guitar solos, harsh vocals, heavy anthems, In Waves, Keefy, Lamb of God, lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu, Lifeforce, Mayhem Festival, melodic singing, metalcore, roadrunner, Roadrunner United, Sepultura, thrash, trivium
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Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Many musicians discover something inspirational about music, hone their craft at their instrument of choice, form a band and then fail to create anything more than a facsimile of what they liked in the first place. Others like the members of all instrumental band ANIMALS AS LEADERS are consciously changing the face of music without even honestly trying all that hard. They may not have always been on this path, but many are grateful that this band seeks artistic fulfillment on a higher level and purpose than most. Oddly enough by being unconventional they have gained mass appeal. They are poised for even bigger things with their new album soon to drop on Prosthetic records. Since this show was coming nowhere near me in Boston, I hoofed it out to Clifton Park, NY to meet some of my best buddies and enjoy a great night at Northern Lights.
 Evan Brewer lays it down in his solo opening set.
EVAN BREWER opened the show tonight a solo act. For those not in the know Evan is a bassist extraordinaire who used to slam the four strings for tech death metallers ANIMOSITY and metalcore act REFLUX with the guys in AAL). Having just released his excellent solo bass CD, Alone (Sumerian Records) he played a set made of up of these tracks. Displaying astounding technique and a deft sense of touch and timing, there really isn’t anything he cannot do on the instrument. Whether be the titan manic thumb slapping of “Actualize” or “Contraband” or the insane arpeggiated chord voicings of the mellow and jazzy “Currency” Brewer delighted the early crowd at the venue. Meanwhile he sat there casually without breaking so much as a sweat. Other incredible cuts he played were “Degenerate” and the futuristic sounding “Vertigo”. He closed up shop with the jazzy funk R&B of “A Climate for Change”. Then he hung out the rest of the night by his merch table and chatted with fans while strumming another of his ESP basses. I’m looking forward to hearing what magic Evan weaves into the new album by THE FACELESS of whom is is now a member.
 LAST CHANCE TO REASON: surprising and talented! Filling in the middle slots tonight were sets from LAST CHANCE TO REASON AND DEAD LETTER CIRCUS. Both bands had a lot to offer before the headliners took their turn. For some reason unbeknownst to me I had slept on Augusta Maine’s LAST CHANCE TO REASON’s Level 2 album until right before the show when I jammed it out as a refresher. The band surprised me right out of the gate with their blend of tech death, thrash and prog metal. In particular, vocalist Mike Lessard was really outstanding with his shrieking highs, low growls and nuanced melodies. He also did a great job of amping up the crowd which I liked. The rest of the band kept it proggy and interesting on songs like “Coded To Fail”, “Temp Files” and “The Prototype”. I dug em as did the crowd and I think I shall revisit this band again and catch them next time they tour. As for Brisbane, Australia’s DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, their singer Kim Benzie told me he was worried they were the “odd band out” on this tour. He may have been referring to the band’s brand of active rock with a hint of prog metal touches as being left field on a tour of adventurous, heady metal artists. Still, the band played the heart out and perhaps due to the open minded crowd in the house, they went over very well. Benzie’s high range singing vocals call to mind CHRIS CORNELL or even TOOL and the bands music is heavy and pretty catchy as well. They put on a fine show collectively and given the right audience I could see them getting very big here in the states.
 INTRONAUT continue to light it up in a live setting. In the penultimate slot tonight was INTRONAUT, and I won’t even front how much of a huge fan I am of theirs. I have seen them every chance I’ve had the last few years and I continue to bump tracks from last year’s Valley of Smoke (Century Media) on the regular. They continue to be one of the leading bands of today melding metal and prog with other jazz and other influences. In a support role tonight, they played a short and tight set of songs and also had many heads in the house. Opening with the excellent “Elegy” they really set it off. Sacha Dunable (GRAVITON) and Dave Timnick twin vocal/guitar assault is always on point as they lead the way. Danny Walker (EXUMED/MURDER CONSTRUCT) just kills behind the kit creating the necessary ebb and flow the band lives on. “Elegy” and out and out crusher until the jazz inflected breakdown. Led by master bassist Joe Lester (MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT), the track shifts tempos and emotions sending the song and the crow into a hypnotic state. “Vernon” which was the bonus track on VoS was a surprising and happy inclusion in the set. Obtuse and heavy in the best form of the band, the song is a straight up metal as the band can get without changing who they are. Walker again is a tornado of poly rhythms and double kick smoothness. The classic “The Literal Black Cloud” came next with a dirge like groove that had everybody in the place off their feet jumping. “Core Relations” followed and is another mini-epic of a song. With its varied time signature changes and chiming jazz guitars the cut has all of the elements that make the band great coming to the fore ground. Last song of their set “Australopithecus” is another of the bands finest work and perhaps Lester’s singular best bass performance. Although I missed not hearing some of my other my favorite songs such as “Any Port” due to the shortened set, I’ll be sure to catch their next US headline tour, possibly when a their next album comes out later in 2012.
Set List:
Elegy
Vernon
The Literal Black Cloud
Core Relations
Australopithecus
The with the stage reset for the headline act the crowd anxiously filled in the front area of the expansive club. Two video screens flanked the drum kit and you felt like the sparse staging would do well to compliment the music. When the video screen flickered on in a light mist of smoke depicting the art work from AAL’s self titled 2010 album, a cheer went up. As the lights went down the band took the stage one at a time to a loud cheer for each member joining the fold. Naturally Tosin Abasi (REFLUX/T.R.A.M.) came on last, to the loudest cheer of all.
 ANIMALS AS LEADERS: pushing boundaries, spiraling outward.
Starting off with the gentle video game theme-esque opener “Point to Point”the band showed their maturity not needing to go full throttle to begin the set. Tonight’s show would be an exercise in patience, talent and grace about all. “Wave of Babies” came next and now the fully charged, visceral sound of the band was unleashed. Abasi and his partner in crime Javier Reyes mainly play their custom 8-string guitars (although Abasi also has some cool 7-String models too) and need no bassist to cover their adventurous parts. I suppose it is the the low-end sound of MESSHUGAH inspired chord figures that makes this music possible and birthed the sub-genre’s catch-all name “djent” (which for the record, I’m not fond of the term). “Waves…” is a killer track encompassing everything the band does well: great riffs and licks, fluid leads, fine composition styles and cool beats. Abasi takes an amazing couple of solo runs in the song. The video images mathced the musical intensity and were quite trippy in their presentation. “Song of Solomon” followed and the manic rhythms of the song pushed the music into mental overdrive. It was cool to see the same guitar geeks who were throwing their jazz fingers in the air earlier in the set now trying to mosh awkwardly to the riffs. Drummer Navene Koperweis likely gets the least amount of ink in the band due to the popularity of its leader (pun intended), but he is a serious baddass. Clearly he is one of the best drummers in the modern music today with his deft touch and pounding rhythms being the core of the AAL sound in many cases. Abasi address the crowd at this point welcoming everybody and appreciating all the love in the room. It is rare to see such a level humility and cool from a guy who is a scene darling and a hero to many at this moment in time. He also announced they were filming for a DVD to accompany their next CD and from this point on the camera guy was on stage as much as the band was. “Tempting Time” was next and pretty much everyone in the place went apeshit together just then. The song is a musical beast to be sure, but even when the group goes all out hard there is a lot of textural parts going on an little bits of eargasm inducing hidden parts. As the band took a break for a few minutes Javier Reyes took a solo flight for a few minutes. Again the guy is no slouch and is a master in his own right, deserving every bit of praise as Abasi. The rest of the band came back on for a run through of a brand new song that sounded great. If this track is any indication the band continues to grow and break new ground. “On Impulse” was next. Of all of their music this to me sounds like a song that a vocalist could be made room for since it is the most standard track (verse-chorus-verse-ish) the band has. The light jazz chord voicings give way to chunky riffs and hard hitting interplay between all three members. As the set began to wind down Reyes and Koperwies had a chance to chill out while Abasi played a sweet solo spot. There is no denying what the guy can do with a guitar, but I still think of him as a great songwriter first because if he was just a walking bag of the latest guitar tricks a) he’d be a robot and b) he’d be a lot less interesting. Luckily he is neither of those things. Saving their best and most “djent” (there’s that pesky word again) tracks of the night for last they closed with “Thoroughly At Home” and “CAFO”. “CAFO” in particular is amazing and features another ripping solo from Tosin. In this group you might glimpse the future of music where how hard you can sound and mean a breakdown you can craft is replaced tempered by musical ingenuity and high minded ideals. Let’s hope it keeps going that way.
 Tosin Abasi: MVP! Set List:
Point to Point
Wave of Babies
Song of Solomon
Tempting Time
Javier Reyes solo
New Song
On Impulse
Tosin Abasi solo
Thoroughly At Home
CAFO
(Special thanks to Northern Lights, Curtis Dunlap and photos by Danny Graf.)
Reviewed by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: 8-string guitars, active rock, Alone, Animals as Leaders, animosity, bass string popping, bassist Joe Lester, chiming jazz guitars, Chris Cornell, complex song structures, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, drummer Danny Walker, drummer Navene Koperweis, Evan Brewer, EXUMED, funk, GRAVITON, guitarist/vocalist Dave Timnick, guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable, Intronaut, Javier Reyes, Jazz, Keefy, LAST CHANCE TO REASON, Level 2, MESSHUGAH, monster bass lead runs, Mouth of the Architect, Murder Construct, new AAL song, Northern Lights, Progressive Metal, R&B, REFLUX, singer Kim Benzie, solo bass artisrty, solos, sumerian records, T.R.A.M., tech death, The Faceless, thumb-slapping, tool, Tosin Abasi, valley of smoke, vocalist Mike Lessard, “djent”, “The Literal Black Cloud”, “”
Posted in Live Show Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
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