“Before The Storm” was released on May 23 2011, almost one year after the first, self-titled album. After the release of “The Last Days” I didn’t have any ideas left and had to start at zero again, so to speak.
There haven’t been many days of recording, actually only three:
February 27 2011
On this day I recorded five improvisations (one of them being a Moogertronics track - thanks to Robert Moog and Robert Fripp) which all have been used for this album in almost full length. They can be heard during “Dawn Secrets” (the synthesizer bridge after the intro and the synthesizer finale), “Monolith” (both halves) and “The Birds Blocked Out The Sun” (the three parts after the “campfire” song). Back then I didn’t have the full concept of the album yet and four of these improvisations were released on Soundcloud as a sign of life, more or less.
March 6 2011
The harmonica intro of “Dawn Secrets” and the complete “Birds Of Passage” were recorded in the late evening. The latter was done very quickly as the song’s lyrics were written long before and the recording of the vocals only took two takes. As the harmonica tracks are the basis of the song I was reminded of Alicia Merz’ music when I heard them and I knew that this was the only way the lyrics could be used.
March 11 2011
It was the day Japan was hit by an earthquake and the following tsunami and I saw it on TV before the session started, just like Artem Lauk. We recorded eight songs of which five made it onto the final album. All of these eight tracks were completely improvised and are first takes without any corrections. We simply started to play without planning anything and what you hear is what was played back then.
The first duet ended up as “The Grey Sky Is Falling Down” and doesn’t have any corrections, just like the fourth duet which is “Frozen Debris” and the sixth duet which is “Walking Through The Morning Mist”. The third duet became the central part of “Dawn Secrets” and the fifth the opening part of “The Birds Blocked Out The Sun”.
The remaining three duets and a short part of one of the Feb. 27 improvisations are going to be featured on the upcoming album “On The Healing Road”.
The mixing and mastering of the initial tracks took place shortly after March 11 but it took quite some time to work out the final album although only few things were changed after finishing these first mixes. The album was completed on the day before it was released.
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With the previous album “The Last Days” being a rather song-based industrial album “Before The Storm” took a new direction (I like to call it 'doom folk'), actually leaving the former electronic and especially the industrial style behind. But don’t think that I just didn’t do such tracks anymore – I simply couldn’t do them anymore. I tried to work on drum-based songs but they didn’t work, quite frankly. Only two attempts were used and I handed one of them over to Allen Wentz as a demo with plenty of room for his sonic magic. The remaining is the 29-minute-long “Rolling Thunder” which is going to be featured on the next album.
After listening to the March 11 duo recordings for a while I knew that they were the basis for my new albums (the two concepts of “Before The Storm” and “On The Healing Road” were ready by now) but something was missing. I tried to add rhythms to the songs but it didn’t work for me. This is where the Feb. 27 improvisations returned: When I cut them together with the duo recordings they suddenly made sense and seemed complete to me. But still, the songs needed some time to mature and I didn’t feel sure about releasing them immediately, so I stopped listening to them.
On May 22, when I realised that these songs have still been lying around unused, I listened to them again and knew that they were finally ready.
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I have to thank Artem Lauk for his brilliant guitar work as well as being the driving force of the new songs and welcome him as a constant member of The Hard Drive.
Special thanks go to Thomas Mathie for his always fantastic, most beautiful and so inspiring cover art.
Last but not least I thank the ‘Inner Circle’ – Allen Wentz, Thomas Emmons, Neil Alexander, Adam Greenhead, Sean Cotterill and Rhys Anslow – for their important advice.
See you “On The Healing Road”!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Keith Emerson - Keith Emerson Band feat. Marc Bonilla - A Review
I reviewed Keith Emerson's 2008 solo album for ThisIsNotAScene:
In 2008 Keith Emerson, keyboarder of the famous prog rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, surprised everyone with the release of his new solo album under the name Keith Emerson Band after years without any new music. The main studio band consisted of Gregg Bissonette on drums, Bob Birch on bass and Emerson’s long-time guitar player and singer Marc Bonilla.
Just like in the early days of ELP the first 15 tracks more or less form a 35 minute long concept piece called ‘The House Of Ocean Born Mary’. It starts off with the soundscape ‘Ignition’ and the short recurring church organ interlude ’1st Presence’. But the first notes of the first actual song ‘Last Horizon’ already make clear who is playing: this is Emerson’s typical Hammond organ sound. The addition of different synthesizer and guitar sounds as the song progresses make this track very interesting but it gets even better with the following ‘Miles Away Pt. 1′ which almost sounds like a Porcupine Tree ballad. The interplay between piano and electric guitar is really great but the song sadly is only two minutes long. It segues directly into the much faster second part which finally features the complete band. ‘Crusaders Cross’ and ‘Fugue’ are variations of this second part. Here the band shows what they are capable of but the abrupt ending sounds like slamming on the brakes. A longer jam would have been better and much more interesting.
After the very short ’2nd Presence’ the band delivers ‘Marche Train’, a typical rock song with catchy melodies, but it’s getting better with Emerson’s Hammond solo and synthesizer fanfares. Sadly it fades out and ‘Blue Inferno’ follows. The title almost says it all: this is Emerson’s luckily short tribute to the infamous 80’s Adult-Oriented Rock with pumping beats and rather cheesy synthesizer sounds. ’3rd Presence’ finally gives these church organ interludes a sense of being because it is worked out to a longer track now and sounds very good. The following ‘Prelude To A Hope’ is a beautiful piano ballad without the band. The added synthesizer sounds in the background create a haunting atmosphere as well as the great piano melody itself.
After a pause follows ‘A Place To Hide’, a powerful ballad, again with synthesizer fanfares. But much better is the third part of ‘Miles Away’, this time with fantastic synthesizer and guitar interplay. The instrumental ‘Finale’, starting anthem-like (and almost pathetic), gets very interesting after Bissonette’s drum solo as the band jumps through different styles and exchange interesting riffs – just to return to the opening sequence and bring the song to an end in a pompous way.
The major problem of this concept piece is that it doesn’t work as a whole. All the abrupt endings and pauses between most of the songs split it into several parts which are too different from each other to be considered as one piece.
The other songs of the album are mixed in their quality with the piano- and guitar-driven Ginastera adaption ‘Malambo’ being best and the honky-tonk ditty ‘Gametime’ being best considered as a musical joke. Somewhere in-between are the mediocre rocker ‘The Art Of Falling Down’ and the powerful ballad ‘The Parting’ which ends with the sounds of the album’s opener ‘Ignition’, creating a musical circle.
With this album Keith Emerson shows that he can still create good music although some songs are too simple for a man of his abilities. He could have done much more despite the fact that he certainly has great moments on this album.
Result: 8/10
In 2008 Keith Emerson, keyboarder of the famous prog rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, surprised everyone with the release of his new solo album under the name Keith Emerson Band after years without any new music. The main studio band consisted of Gregg Bissonette on drums, Bob Birch on bass and Emerson’s long-time guitar player and singer Marc Bonilla.
Just like in the early days of ELP the first 15 tracks more or less form a 35 minute long concept piece called ‘The House Of Ocean Born Mary’. It starts off with the soundscape ‘Ignition’ and the short recurring church organ interlude ’1st Presence’. But the first notes of the first actual song ‘Last Horizon’ already make clear who is playing: this is Emerson’s typical Hammond organ sound. The addition of different synthesizer and guitar sounds as the song progresses make this track very interesting but it gets even better with the following ‘Miles Away Pt. 1′ which almost sounds like a Porcupine Tree ballad. The interplay between piano and electric guitar is really great but the song sadly is only two minutes long. It segues directly into the much faster second part which finally features the complete band. ‘Crusaders Cross’ and ‘Fugue’ are variations of this second part. Here the band shows what they are capable of but the abrupt ending sounds like slamming on the brakes. A longer jam would have been better and much more interesting.
After the very short ’2nd Presence’ the band delivers ‘Marche Train’, a typical rock song with catchy melodies, but it’s getting better with Emerson’s Hammond solo and synthesizer fanfares. Sadly it fades out and ‘Blue Inferno’ follows. The title almost says it all: this is Emerson’s luckily short tribute to the infamous 80’s Adult-Oriented Rock with pumping beats and rather cheesy synthesizer sounds. ’3rd Presence’ finally gives these church organ interludes a sense of being because it is worked out to a longer track now and sounds very good. The following ‘Prelude To A Hope’ is a beautiful piano ballad without the band. The added synthesizer sounds in the background create a haunting atmosphere as well as the great piano melody itself.
After a pause follows ‘A Place To Hide’, a powerful ballad, again with synthesizer fanfares. But much better is the third part of ‘Miles Away’, this time with fantastic synthesizer and guitar interplay. The instrumental ‘Finale’, starting anthem-like (and almost pathetic), gets very interesting after Bissonette’s drum solo as the band jumps through different styles and exchange interesting riffs – just to return to the opening sequence and bring the song to an end in a pompous way.
The major problem of this concept piece is that it doesn’t work as a whole. All the abrupt endings and pauses between most of the songs split it into several parts which are too different from each other to be considered as one piece.
The other songs of the album are mixed in their quality with the piano- and guitar-driven Ginastera adaption ‘Malambo’ being best and the honky-tonk ditty ‘Gametime’ being best considered as a musical joke. Somewhere in-between are the mediocre rocker ‘The Art Of Falling Down’ and the powerful ballad ‘The Parting’ which ends with the sounds of the album’s opener ‘Ignition’, creating a musical circle.
With this album Keith Emerson shows that he can still create good music although some songs are too simple for a man of his abilities. He could have done much more despite the fact that he certainly has great moments on this album.
Result: 8/10
Friday, February 18, 2011
Plans for 2011
I've spent some time thinking about what to do after releasing "The Last Days". It took some time until new ideas came to my mind but by the end of January 2011 first bits and pieces have been recorded.
"Improv III" is an excerpt of one of four simple e-piano/synth improvisations recorded in December 2010. The other tracks are a bit too random so they won't be used for any new songs but this third one might be featured on a new release.
I already knew the certain direction of the new album shortly after the release of "The Last Days" but as so often the idea has evolved over time. At first, I wanted to record heavier music without the ambient and industrial sounds of the previous albums. I also wanted to create songs out of my lyrics I've been writing since 2009 - with me singing, of course (be prepared!). The new album title has been "On The Healing Road", a hint at the very beginning of THD: The Healing Road is a music project based on home-recording by Hanspeter Hess who I've known for some time now. I was surprised how easily music could be recorded and released by just one man so I tried it myself.
Now the idea of turning my lyrics into songs is still there but leaving all the ambient or rather atmospheric parts behind would take an important element of my music, I think. All I can say is that the industrial phase is over.
But back to the demo tracks I've recorded - they soon divided into two groups: heavy songs and loud wall of sounds on the one hand and quiet, simple, rather folky pieces on the other. Here are some very raw examples:
"Rolling Thunder" (with the "Interlude") is going to be featured on the heavy "On The Healing Road". "Dawn Secrets" is going to be the intro of the folky album called "Before The Storm". It will be released first with "OTHR" following later in the year.
"Ripple" was supposed to end up as the last track of "On The Healing Road" but I used it for the new trio Vicious Force I'm part of. It is currently worked out and sounding very good and powerful already with added guitars by Sean Cotterill and drums by Jon Mattox.
That's it for the moment but, as always, you never know where The Hard Drive goes.
"Improv III" is an excerpt of one of four simple e-piano/synth improvisations recorded in December 2010. The other tracks are a bit too random so they won't be used for any new songs but this third one might be featured on a new release.
I already knew the certain direction of the new album shortly after the release of "The Last Days" but as so often the idea has evolved over time. At first, I wanted to record heavier music without the ambient and industrial sounds of the previous albums. I also wanted to create songs out of my lyrics I've been writing since 2009 - with me singing, of course (be prepared!). The new album title has been "On The Healing Road", a hint at the very beginning of THD: The Healing Road is a music project based on home-recording by Hanspeter Hess who I've known for some time now. I was surprised how easily music could be recorded and released by just one man so I tried it myself.
Now the idea of turning my lyrics into songs is still there but leaving all the ambient or rather atmospheric parts behind would take an important element of my music, I think. All I can say is that the industrial phase is over.
But back to the demo tracks I've recorded - they soon divided into two groups: heavy songs and loud wall of sounds on the one hand and quiet, simple, rather folky pieces on the other. Here are some very raw examples:
"Rolling Thunder" (with the "Interlude") is going to be featured on the heavy "On The Healing Road". "Dawn Secrets" is going to be the intro of the folky album called "Before The Storm". It will be released first with "OTHR" following later in the year.
"Ripple" was supposed to end up as the last track of "On The Healing Road" but I used it for the new trio Vicious Force I'm part of. It is currently worked out and sounding very good and powerful already with added guitars by Sean Cotterill and drums by Jon Mattox.
That's it for the moment but, as always, you never know where The Hard Drive goes.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Jolly - The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I) - A Review
I reviewed Jolly's new album "The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I)" for ThisIsNotAScene:
Don’t be fooled by the horribly pathetic new age intro ‘Guidance One’ because what follows is nothing short of stunning! Somewhere between progressive rock and metal you will find Jolly’s, “The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I)”.
Speaking of what rock is about, this album nearly has it all: a huge, powerful sound, great stylistic variations and a certain and special atmosphere. Most of the time the guitar-driven songs remind me of Tool, Porcupine Tree and even Opeth at times. ‘Take Ends Where It Starts’, for example: the dynamic changes in this song are great, just like the riffs and it’s similar with ‘The Pattern’, which in turn has a slight King Crimson feel to it.
That’s not the end of the similarities, the song ‘Pretty Darlin’’ sounds a little like a heavier version of ZZ Top or The Black Keys with its blues feeling. Softer songs like ‘Joy’ or ‘Storytime’ are also very good, too, because the band knows how to create the special atmosphere found in the heavy songs, in the softer tracks as well using much quieter sounds.
Then take the tracks ‘Still A Dream’, ‘Radiae’ and ‘Where Everything’s Perfect’ which mix the hard passages with acoustic and ambient sequences which really add something and enhance this special atmosphere even more. Only the two ‘Guidance’ tracks are weak and seem rather like gimmicks than anything else. The album ends with the psychedelic ‘Dorothy’s Lament’ and the final gimmick track, ‘Intermission’.
And why is this album so good? Jolly just know how to deliver great riffs in the right way. The band’s playing is so powerful in most of the songs and when you put this together with the fantastic structures, the result is great. That’s not all, the great and clear sound, mixed together with a special atmosphere that is created with electronic samples in the background go hand in hand to make “The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I)” a great album!
Result: 8.5/10
Don’t be fooled by the horribly pathetic new age intro ‘Guidance One’ because what follows is nothing short of stunning! Somewhere between progressive rock and metal you will find Jolly’s, “The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I)”.
Speaking of what rock is about, this album nearly has it all: a huge, powerful sound, great stylistic variations and a certain and special atmosphere. Most of the time the guitar-driven songs remind me of Tool, Porcupine Tree and even Opeth at times. ‘Take Ends Where It Starts’, for example: the dynamic changes in this song are great, just like the riffs and it’s similar with ‘The Pattern’, which in turn has a slight King Crimson feel to it.
That’s not the end of the similarities, the song ‘Pretty Darlin’’ sounds a little like a heavier version of ZZ Top or The Black Keys with its blues feeling. Softer songs like ‘Joy’ or ‘Storytime’ are also very good, too, because the band knows how to create the special atmosphere found in the heavy songs, in the softer tracks as well using much quieter sounds.
Then take the tracks ‘Still A Dream’, ‘Radiae’ and ‘Where Everything’s Perfect’ which mix the hard passages with acoustic and ambient sequences which really add something and enhance this special atmosphere even more. Only the two ‘Guidance’ tracks are weak and seem rather like gimmicks than anything else. The album ends with the psychedelic ‘Dorothy’s Lament’ and the final gimmick track, ‘Intermission’.
And why is this album so good? Jolly just know how to deliver great riffs in the right way. The band’s playing is so powerful in most of the songs and when you put this together with the fantastic structures, the result is great. That’s not all, the great and clear sound, mixed together with a special atmosphere that is created with electronic samples in the background go hand in hand to make “The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part I)” a great album!
Result: 8.5/10
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
OSI - Office Of Strategic Influence - A Review
I reviewed OSI's "Office Of Strategic Infleunce" for ThisIsNotAScene:
“Office Of Strategic Influence” is the debut album by progressive metal trio OSI, originally released in 2003 and reissued in 2010 by Metal Blade Records. The three involved musicians are well-known figures of the progressive metal scene: Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos (who also plays keyboards on this album), Dream Theater and Chroma Key keyboarder Kevin Moore and former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. So the bar is set high for this release!
The opening track ‘The New Math (What He Said)’ and the following ‘OSI’ are perfect examples of the band’s abilities. The hard guitar sound and the almost spacy, often industrial-like sounding keyboard lines work very well together and – as always – Portnoy does a great job at the drums. Interestingly the track ‘OSI’ seems to have inspired Steven Wilson as it sounds like it could be a song from the 2007 Porcupine Tree album “Fear Of A Blank Planet”. Funnily enough, Wilson is actually featured on this OSI album, just like Sean Malone of Cynic and Gordian Knot. One more influence: ‘Memory Daydream Lapses’ sounds like King Crimson.
But the band doesn’t only play prog metal the whole time. Tracks like ‘When You’re Ready’ remind me of softer Nine Inch Nails songs with acoustic guitar playing along keyboards, sometimes heavily modulated. ‘Hello, Helicopter!’ and ‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’ could even be acoustic pop singles.
Nevertheless the album has a very dark atmosphere due to the fact that all songs deal with 9/11 and the war against terrorism (take the name of the band as an obvious hint). There are bits and pieces of telephone calls, news show reels and political speeches in almost every song creating this special and strange atmosphere together with the overall dark music and lush vocals. All this leads to some kind of depressive heaviness which captures the tension of the time after 9/11 in a very direct and haunting way.
Beside the regular release there also is a special edition available with an extra disc featuring three bonus tracks. Two good cover versions of Pink Floyd’s ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’ and Neil Young’s ‘New Mama’ start it off. However, more interesting is the 17 minute plus, ‘The Thing That Never Was’, the original demo of ‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’. This track doesn’t show the band testing and experimenting – it’s completely different and could easily fit onto the actual album. The mix of acoustic and electric passages shows that the band surely knows how to compose longer songs, yet such songs aren’t missed.
OSI’s debut “Office Of Strategic Influence” is a powerful album which has it all: a tense atmosphere, fantastic songs and the band’s tight performance make it a great one!
Result: 9/10
“Office Of Strategic Influence” is the debut album by progressive metal trio OSI, originally released in 2003 and reissued in 2010 by Metal Blade Records. The three involved musicians are well-known figures of the progressive metal scene: Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos (who also plays keyboards on this album), Dream Theater and Chroma Key keyboarder Kevin Moore and former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. So the bar is set high for this release!
The opening track ‘The New Math (What He Said)’ and the following ‘OSI’ are perfect examples of the band’s abilities. The hard guitar sound and the almost spacy, often industrial-like sounding keyboard lines work very well together and – as always – Portnoy does a great job at the drums. Interestingly the track ‘OSI’ seems to have inspired Steven Wilson as it sounds like it could be a song from the 2007 Porcupine Tree album “Fear Of A Blank Planet”. Funnily enough, Wilson is actually featured on this OSI album, just like Sean Malone of Cynic and Gordian Knot. One more influence: ‘Memory Daydream Lapses’ sounds like King Crimson.
But the band doesn’t only play prog metal the whole time. Tracks like ‘When You’re Ready’ remind me of softer Nine Inch Nails songs with acoustic guitar playing along keyboards, sometimes heavily modulated. ‘Hello, Helicopter!’ and ‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’ could even be acoustic pop singles.
Nevertheless the album has a very dark atmosphere due to the fact that all songs deal with 9/11 and the war against terrorism (take the name of the band as an obvious hint). There are bits and pieces of telephone calls, news show reels and political speeches in almost every song creating this special and strange atmosphere together with the overall dark music and lush vocals. All this leads to some kind of depressive heaviness which captures the tension of the time after 9/11 in a very direct and haunting way.
Beside the regular release there also is a special edition available with an extra disc featuring three bonus tracks. Two good cover versions of Pink Floyd’s ‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun’ and Neil Young’s ‘New Mama’ start it off. However, more interesting is the 17 minute plus, ‘The Thing That Never Was’, the original demo of ‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’. This track doesn’t show the band testing and experimenting – it’s completely different and could easily fit onto the actual album. The mix of acoustic and electric passages shows that the band surely knows how to compose longer songs, yet such songs aren’t missed.
OSI’s debut “Office Of Strategic Influence” is a powerful album which has it all: a tense atmosphere, fantastic songs and the band’s tight performance make it a great one!
Result: 9/10
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Tao Of The Dead - A Review
I reviewed "Tao Of The Dead", the new album by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, for ThisIsNotAScene:
“Tao Of The Dead” is the new album by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. The band announced that this album was inspired by the sounds of 70’s progressive rock bands like Yes, Pink Floyd and Rush with the result that “Tao Of The Dead” became a concept album in the end. Musically it’s a mix of post-core and progressive punk rock.
The album starts with the fanfare-like Introduction: ‘Let’s Experiment’ which segues into ‘Pure Radio Cosplay’. This second track already shows what many songs of the album are like: rock hymns with a cutting sound which remind me of Green Day and The Who. At least ‘Pure Radio Cosplay’ is worked out in true prog style length, just like ‘Summer Of All Dead Souls’ and ‘The Fairlight Pendant’. Sadly the other tracks are kept short at 2½ to 3 minutes. It would be much more interesting if these songs were worked out as they are better than the longer ones. With such tracks like ‘Cover The Days Like A Tidal Wave’ or the rather quiet ‘Spiral Jetty’, the band achieves to create a genuine sound instead of just blasting power chords and shouting vocals. Between the songs are very interesting and effect-laden interludes which consist of feedback and synthesizer bleeps. These add a great part to the album’s atmosphere and the powerful overall sound.
The final song is the 16½ minute long ‘Strange News From Another Planet’. Although the elements are the same as before, this track makes sense as the ideas as well as the structure are worked out fully this time. If they had only done this with the other tracks! This is the best song of the album.
All in all “Tao Of The Dead” is a good album with a fresh sound – yet some of the tracks just sound like usual rock songs and the interesting ones are too short (except the final song).
Result: 6.5/10
“Tao Of The Dead” is the new album by …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. The band announced that this album was inspired by the sounds of 70’s progressive rock bands like Yes, Pink Floyd and Rush with the result that “Tao Of The Dead” became a concept album in the end. Musically it’s a mix of post-core and progressive punk rock.
The album starts with the fanfare-like Introduction: ‘Let’s Experiment’ which segues into ‘Pure Radio Cosplay’. This second track already shows what many songs of the album are like: rock hymns with a cutting sound which remind me of Green Day and The Who. At least ‘Pure Radio Cosplay’ is worked out in true prog style length, just like ‘Summer Of All Dead Souls’ and ‘The Fairlight Pendant’. Sadly the other tracks are kept short at 2½ to 3 minutes. It would be much more interesting if these songs were worked out as they are better than the longer ones. With such tracks like ‘Cover The Days Like A Tidal Wave’ or the rather quiet ‘Spiral Jetty’, the band achieves to create a genuine sound instead of just blasting power chords and shouting vocals. Between the songs are very interesting and effect-laden interludes which consist of feedback and synthesizer bleeps. These add a great part to the album’s atmosphere and the powerful overall sound.
The final song is the 16½ minute long ‘Strange News From Another Planet’. Although the elements are the same as before, this track makes sense as the ideas as well as the structure are worked out fully this time. If they had only done this with the other tracks! This is the best song of the album.
All in all “Tao Of The Dead” is a good album with a fresh sound – yet some of the tracks just sound like usual rock songs and the interesting ones are too short (except the final song).
Result: 6.5/10
Thomas Giles - Pulse - A Review
I reviewed Thomas Giles' new album "Pulse" for ThisIsNotAScene:
“Pulse” is the debut solo album by Thomas Giles also known as Tommy Rogers of Between The Buried And Me. This album has got a lot to offer in terms of styles and music ranges; from heavy industrial beats and guitar-driven rockers to electronic tracks and acoustic pop songs. Rogers not only played all instruments but also produced the album. The result is great: a powerful but nuanced and – most important – clear sound.
Although consisting of many different ideas and passages the songs are very accessible because they aren’t overly intellectual. This shows that Rogers knows how to compose great music with a more or less unique sound although some song moments remind me of Nine Inch Nails or alternative rock bands like Muse. The opener ‘Sleep Shake’ and ‘Catch & Release’ are great examples for that. Then there is the sparse singer/songwriter piece ‘Scared’ in full contrast to ‘Medic’, the heaviest track of the album. These huge dynamical differences are great and, combined with the genre changes, take the listener through many different musical directions. ‘Mr. Bird’ is a piano ballad with harmony vocals (all sung by Rogers, of course), for example. There are even songs like ‘Reverb Island’ or ‘Armchair Travel’ that have a kind of 60’s pop vibe to them. Besides the great compositions Rogers’ vocals are also very good, showcasing a versatile and melodic voice as well as darker screams and shouts.
Due to the great stylistic and dynamical changes of almost every song it is hard to pick a favourite – there aren’t any weak points. However, he still has to deliver mind-blowing songs that really push boundaries. Just mixing genres isn’t enough. I have the feeling that although all the songs are good there still is room for more.
Result: 8/10
“Pulse” is the debut solo album by Thomas Giles also known as Tommy Rogers of Between The Buried And Me. This album has got a lot to offer in terms of styles and music ranges; from heavy industrial beats and guitar-driven rockers to electronic tracks and acoustic pop songs. Rogers not only played all instruments but also produced the album. The result is great: a powerful but nuanced and – most important – clear sound.
Although consisting of many different ideas and passages the songs are very accessible because they aren’t overly intellectual. This shows that Rogers knows how to compose great music with a more or less unique sound although some song moments remind me of Nine Inch Nails or alternative rock bands like Muse. The opener ‘Sleep Shake’ and ‘Catch & Release’ are great examples for that. Then there is the sparse singer/songwriter piece ‘Scared’ in full contrast to ‘Medic’, the heaviest track of the album. These huge dynamical differences are great and, combined with the genre changes, take the listener through many different musical directions. ‘Mr. Bird’ is a piano ballad with harmony vocals (all sung by Rogers, of course), for example. There are even songs like ‘Reverb Island’ or ‘Armchair Travel’ that have a kind of 60’s pop vibe to them. Besides the great compositions Rogers’ vocals are also very good, showcasing a versatile and melodic voice as well as darker screams and shouts.
Due to the great stylistic and dynamical changes of almost every song it is hard to pick a favourite – there aren’t any weak points. However, he still has to deliver mind-blowing songs that really push boundaries. Just mixing genres isn’t enough. I have the feeling that although all the songs are good there still is room for more.
Result: 8/10
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