Bassist Jeff Howell is a highly talented and respected musician from Upstate New York who has toured the world extensively. He`s held down the bottom end in such notable acts as Foghat, Savoy Brown, The Outlaws and Feinstein, to name a few. With THAT kind of resume, you know you`re dealing with a solid professional! "First Time" is Jeff`s first CD, and it`s a stylistic cross section of songs Jeff has recorded over the years. The emphasis is on more hook-laden, radio-friendly material than instrumental prowress. Aiding Jeff is a variety of high-calibre musicians, and Jeff also plays 12-string & electric guitar on some of the tracks, in addition to performing background vocals. Listening to the album, it`s obvious that Jeff`s song writing abilities are equally as impressive as his instrumental skills. Check out tracks like my personal favorite "Come Tomorrow", as well as "Nasty Things", the title track, "A Way", all showcase Jeff`s abilities, and offer countless examples of what a valuable asset he is in nearly every conceivable musical situation. The CD may be titled "First Time", but it`s definitely not the last time you`ll hear from Jeff Howell!
Turbyne are a 5-piece Metal band from Dumfries, Scotland, and "Destroyer Creator" is their most recent recording. Despite their ages [19-23] these guys could teach more seasoned vets a thing or two, in terms musicianship and professionalism. The 5 tracks featured on the EP are Modern Metal with aggressive, at times Death Metal vocals, and Metalcore rhythms and arrangements. At the same time, Turbyne manages to seamlessly blend in more traditional melodic elements, helping to put their own personal stamp on the music. A dark, atmospheric intro titled "The Inevitable" kicks off the album, which then leads into "The Void". Throught this, as well as the others songs, the band displays a clever knack for complex, intricate rhythms, though never getting bogged down in technique. It`s a testament to their song writing abilities, as well as their considerable instrumental prowress. Other tracks include "The Successor" [which is my personal favorite], "Cheap Death", and the closer "Dedicated Warlord". A very impressive release from an equally impressive group who obviously have all the ingredients for success. You can ensure that success by going to Turbynes` website and buying the CD. Put these guys at the top of your "Bands to watch" list! [Special thanks to my good friend Davie Kirkwood for sending me the CD!]
Hailing from from Sheffield, UK, Stonerun are a 5-piece who have three EPs` under their belts in less than 3 years. Their style leans more towards the Grunge end of the Hard Rock spectrum, but don`t worry. Stonerun manages to do it right; in fact, I`d go so far as to say that this is what all those Grunge Gods from Seattle SHOULD have sounded like, if they hadn`t been such a bunch of whiners and actually knew how to play their instruments! In listening to all three of the bands` releases, what`s most striking is the obvious progression Stonerun has made from the first EP to "III", especially given the short amount of time between releases. Not so much that the songs are better on each release, but there is a noticible refinement in the songwriting, and it`s obvious that much care went into each track. "Second Skin" and "Into The Ground" are standouts on the first EP, while "Open Air" and "Scissor Choice" are high points on "II". "Something In The Water" and my personal favorite "Cradle Me" close out "III" brilliantly. With the leaps and bounds made by the band in their existence, it`s clear that Stonerun is headed in the right direction. Go to their website and purchase their material so that they, and other artists like them, may continue on their present course, which will doubtless lead them to the success they so richly deserve! [Thanks once again to Davie Kirkwood for sending the bands EPs!]
Dublin`s Celtachor delve into various Celtic mythology, coupled with the Folk/Pagan Metal stylings of Waylander, amongst others.Yet this band definitely have that "Irish" feel, that will no doubt set them apart from many of their peers. More of a Black metal sound for the most part, but with enough melodic touches to keep things from sounding one-dimensional. The arrangements are quite basic; this genre doesn`t need complex arrangements to be effective, the simplier, the better. The songs aren`t overly long, so one`s attention is held throu our each of the seven tracks. And despite the relative Lo-Fi production, "In the Halls of Our Ancient Fathers" is an easy listen, though a bit of variety would be welcome. In the end, the bands` dedication to their craft as well as their songwriting abilities are what make this worth investigating!
Chaos Frame`s self produced debut is more in the Dream Theater end of the Prog Metal spectrum, not a genre I spend a lot of time listening to, though there are some bands I like that do this style well. Chaos Frame is certainly one of them, and though it`s somewhat rough sounding, "Another Life" is a very impressive debut. While there are certainly many moments of technical instrumental wizardry, the band show remarkable restraint, never allowing their instrumental abilities to overrun the song, a common pitfall for other bands mining the same territory. There are near Thrash elements to be found, as well, giving the band a slightly heavier edge at times. "The Distance" opens things up in fine fashion, followed by "Dogma", "No Answer" and "The Good Fight". The at times strange but still enjoyable instrumental "Sunken Boat Equilibrium" is another high point, but the albums showpiece is definitely the title track, which runs 19 minutes long! But believe it or not, this monster actually manages to hold the listeners attention through out, going through various moods and soundscapes; that the group was able to craft such a piece in such a way as to not allow it to careen off into the ozone is a testament to their compositional skills. All in all, a fine debut, and one no serious fan of Prog Metal should be without!
