Well…now is as good a time as any to begin. I called this impromptu assembly, and I was looking out at a completely full gymnasium, jam packed with people. As a matter of fact, I could see many citizens standing outside the gym doors who would still be within earshot of the speakers that had been set up. Good turnout. No, scratch that. Great turnout! Okay, don’t focus on the butterflies in your stomach Penfold. It’s time to get this mob focused and organized. I stepped up to the podium and began my speech.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming this afternoon. I know that each of you has security concerns that require your attention, so I will get right to the point. As you well know our safety has been threatened, and our societal well being has been assaulted. We live in a constant state of alert and preparedness. We don’t know where or when the next attack will come. About the only thing we are sure of is that it’s only a matter of time before we’re hit again. I called this meeting today because I am sick and tired of sitting on my hands doing nothing, and I bet all of you are too. It’s time to get proactive. It’s time to go on the offensive. It’s time to show our enemies that the people of Long Island are not afraid of them! It’s time to show our enemies that they will no longer exert control over our lives! Who among you feels the same way I do?”
A chorus of angry exclamations from the assembled throng tore through the air. These people had been on edge for far too long, and I knew they were a powder keg just waiting to explode. That being the case, there were still a couple of people who needed convincing that I could lead them out of this crisis. A woman near my podium stood up and spoke. “That sounds good Mayor Penfold. Fantastic even! But what do you actually propose that we do to fight back? The Zombie Horde just keeps coming no matter what!”
Three quarters of my mob stood with arms pointed skyward expelling a war cry that shook the foundation of the gymnasium beneath my feet. It was a terrific feeling knowing I had that seething mass of humanity on my side, but I needed everyone here to participate. As far as I was concerned my community did this together or not at all. Luckily, I had one more trick up my sleeve.
“I see that some of you are hesitant to join our little brigade. I understand your reluctance. I really do. This is a risky mission, but I want to say one more thing to you undecided few. If you are not willing to do this for your family or friends, join us for yourselves. Not only will you be doing your community a great service, but there will also be an absolutely killer concert put on by our very own Exemption after we clear out the cemetery.”
That did it! “Oh man, Exemption!” “I’m in now!” “Exemption! All right!” “Man, that’s all you needed to say!” “Exemption? Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
You see waveriders, I’m about to let you in on the not so little secret that the indecisive citizenry of New York have failed to make known to you till now. There is a band that calls Long Island home named Exemption, and they recently released an album entitled Public Cemetery Party. I understand that simply reading that last sentence isn’t exactly going to rock your world, but trust me. When you listen to the music this band generates, the Richter scale will be insufficient for proper categorization. That old base-10 logarithmic scale doesn’t extend high enough and won’t be able to cope with this magnitude of rock!
So what does this band sound like you ask? Well, that one isn’t so easy. While it is true that the standard power trio makeup (guitar, bass, and drums) is maintained, one label I would never place on this music is simplistic. No sir. There are a lot of musical ideas bouncing off one another, coming and going in each song. In fact, I can understand how some simpletons might believe that there are too many ideas being floated around in these compositions. Good thing we waveriders are such an enlightened bunch! Complexity does not frighten us. Not in the slightest! Listening to the album, it is abundantly clear that this band is made up of Mastodon fans. Oftentimes, they sound like Mastodon would if they had strictly clean vocals, played major chords instead of minor ones, and were seemingly less bitter people (make no mistake, I dig Mastodon too). The other connection I like to make is comparing the writing approach of Exemption to that of the band Torche. I find great similarities in how both bands layer memorable pop elements over a pure metal background. Awesome stuff!
Now…I’ve seen this band referred to as stoner metal. Please! No offense, but the members of this band play way too nimbly with ultra-fine musicianship to fall into what I typically refer to as stoner metal. Exemption is a progressive metal outfit. I say that because I can not remember another band that sounds quite like them. Now hold on a second! I don’t mean progressive metal in the vein of endless soloing and lengthy, dithering songs. Nope. All nine songs that make up Public Cemetery Party scream immediacy and leave the listener wanting more, not less. My personal favorites are the ear-scorching “Mutating Skulls”, the wildly gyrating “Byrds”, and the bombastic opener “Hyperspiral”.
Waveriders, check out this fantastic album and support the young men who manufactured this mighty artifact. You will not regret your decision, similar to the citizenry who followed me into battle that night. We cleansed that cemetery and forged a devastating new strategy in our war against the Zombie Horde. Want to know the best part of the whole night? We did not lose a single citizen. I myself was injured afterwards at the concert. The tunes were so rockin’, I got a serious case of whiplash!
-- Penfold
Buy here: Public Cemetery Party
