Fantastic Fen Inteview from This is Rock Magazine

Hi Doug, this is Francisco from This Is Rock Magazine Spain. First of all, I must congratulate you for Trails Out Of Gloom. Given that the album was released some months ago, do you already have a perspective of what has it meant to your career?

Thanks, Francisco. Trails Out Of Gloom is Fen's fourth album, but it's our first to get much critical attention. For many listeners it's the first they've heard of us, and they think we must be a new band, when actually we've been around for well over a decade. In that way, Trails Out Of Gloom is a new beginning for us. The album title could be significant in the sense that we have spent many years milling about in dark obscurity, and now we have finally come into the light of the media's narrow gaze. Ah, the wonder of marketing!

- Given that this is your first interview to our magazine, it would be great if you could tell us about Fen's origins. How did you and Sam Levin meet, and what did you want to achieve?

Sam and I met back in 1998, in a little pot-smoking mountain town called Nelson. We were teenagers at the time, and we started Fen after a single jam, where we droned a riff in 5/4 for about 45 minutes. We both played guitar, we both worshiped Tool and GnR, and we were driven to create our own dark and complex sound. The union came without hesitation.

- How would you describe Fen's sound?

The current sound is plaintive and brooding. Heavy and light. Subject to change.

- 'Trails Out Of Gloom'... the thing is that, although definitively dark sounding, the new album has many acoustic passages that, somehow, enlightens the compositions, taking them out of the gloom that surrounds your previous works... Has this acoustic side of the album been in the composition from the beginning of the writing sessions?

Most of the songs on Trails Out Of Gloom began on classical guitar, and the original plan was to make an acoustic album. During moments of weakness though, I strayed from that initial plan and experimented with bits of distortion here and there, and once I'd heard those distorted layers, I couldn't do without them. My roots are in heavy music, and that primal pull was too strong to resist. The final recording ended up being an amalgamation of the two textures, heavy and light. I always loved those classical-sounding Metallica intro's, but I wanted them to carry on for longer, and I wanted them to develop more slowly, rather than cutting straight to the thrashing. In a way, Trails Out Of Gloom helps bridge that transition for me.
 
- Fen's lineup has gone through several changes throughout these years, though yourself and Sam have always been the band's core...Do you think that these changes brought new elements into the band's sound?

Everyone we've played with have been exceptional musicians who can't help but bring something new to the sound. At the same time, our approach to songwriting has changed with each recording. This combination of variables has resulted in a big gap between the chaos of our first album, Surgical Transfusion of Molting Sensory Reflections, and the measured progressions of Trails.


- Given the band's sound evolution... Have you got an idea of how will Fen sound in a couple of albums time?

We've been working on new material, and from a guitar perspective, it's heavier and proggier than Trails. Sam's been writing high energy rock/metal-type riffage. Also, for the first time since our 2003 album, Heron Leg, we're bringing bass and drums into the writing process much earlier. For anyone who's only heard Trails, the next album may be a shock.

- 'Trails Out Of Gloom' is an album that requires several listenings to be fully appreciated, and is a perfect example of what a "grower" is.  Does the good music always need an extra effort in order to get into it?

It's a fine balance in songwriting, offering enough yum-yums in the first few listens to keep people coming back, but reserving the more exquisite treats for subsequent listens. I can't say that I know how it's done. The music for Trails took a long time to write - about three years. Perhaps that slow evolution into being can account for its "grower" status.

- For 'Trails Out Of Gloom' you have signed with Ripple Music. How was this contract forged? Do you plan to re-release your former albums with Ripple, so they could reach a wider audience?

I had contacted The Ripple Effect Blog a couple years ago, asking them to review our latest album at the time, Congenital Fixation. They came back with a killer review, then they requested an interview, and eventually they told us they were starting a label and wanted us to sign on. Their hard work and enthusiasm has helped us reach a lot of new listeners. And yes, we'll be re-releasing Congenital Fixation under the Ripple flag later this year.

- Remembering the fast and energetic entrance of 'Cockroach Eyelids' from the previous 'Congenital Fixation', I can do nothing else but wonder how you have taken that energy and embellished it with layers of emotional playing. Even the guitar parts seems to be more melodic. Is 'Trails Out Of Gloom' Fen's more intimate work?

With Congenital Fixation, Sam wrote the guitar parts and I wrote the vocals and the songs came together collaboratively. But with Trails, Sam was occupied with school and health issues, so I took up the guitar end as well. There's no doubt that he's a superior  player, and I did everything I could to keep the standard high with my more limited skills, which included layering and different textures and a lot of attention to arrangement. As you've mentioned, the result was pretty different. I guess the intimacy of Trails can be attributed in part to the acoustic root of the songs, but also to the fact that I was working on it alone.


- Your voice has been truly improved all along these years, and it feels like you feel much more confident with your singing style... Do you agree with that?

Thanks for your kind words, Francisco. I'm always trying to improve my skills as a vocalist. That's what keeps me going - the thought that the best is yet to come. But as much as my skills might have improved, I think it might be that I've come closer to finding a musical landscape that allows my voice to explore its full range. If I was suddenly thrown into any number of bands that go strictly with power chords and driving beats, half my lines would disappear. I'd be a vocal cripple.


- It has been recorded a video for 'Miracle'... Why did you choose that song? What can you tell us about this video?
 
The guys at our label thought 'Miracle' was the strongest tune on the album, and when making a video on a tight budget, shorter is better, so it was an easy choice. The video features two marionettes in a miniature landscape constructed of rocks and sticks and brambles and whatever else we could grab from nearby parks and beaches. In this set, arranged on a 4ft by 6ft plywood board, the two puppets play out a story of decayed love. We made the video with the help of Mind of a Snail Puppet Co and a handful of friends. You can watch it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4zO07MF3I

- Given the fact that 'Trails Out Of Gloom' was published more than half a year ago... Do you think that this is time to think about Fen's future plans?

Our biggest goal right now is getting our live sound up to snuff. To do that, we plan on making some short tours through western Canada over the next year, and expanding the periphery of our local shows. That, plus writing and recording a new album should keep us busy.

- Can you tell us something about the gigs that you played for 'Trails Out Of Gloom'? How would you describe a Fen gig?

We're still getting comfortable in the live setting. I don't think we've found what we are yet, live. Right now we're slowly adding new elements to the show to see how we can create a more Fen environment while we're up there. We've got a show tonight and we're going to try out some sound effects between songs. We've been wanting to incorporate some kind of visuals as well, but haven't found a way to begin yet. For us, the music comes first, and the entertainment aspect is a faraway second, so it will develop more slowly.


- Well, I Think it's all by now, Doug. Thanks a lot for your time, and wish you all the best. Have you got anything to say to your Spanish fans?

Gracias! We're honoured to have you as listeners. To stay in touch with Fen, join our email list at www.fenmusic.ca or "like" us at www.facebook.com/fenmusic. We have many more albums ahead of us.

Syd Arthur - Moving World

I had know idea who or what Syd Arthur was, but what I heard was not what I was expecting by any means. Moving World was another 'gift sent' to me by Ripple Music, and I really don't know what to make of it. It melds styles I previously thought un-meldable. Truly a conundrum of sound and style. I only label this as progressive rock because I don't know what else to classify it as, it is that much of an interesting mash-up of style.

I'm going to assume Syd Arthur is either a nickname or the band name, like Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull or Franz Ferdinand, a name that sounds like a person's, but is in fact the group's name (in my searches I discovered a theory that the band gets it's name from Syd Barret (original singer for Pink Floyd) and from The Kinks' album, Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire), so that's kind of interesting. I say this because the singer has a very peculiar voice; At times making me think it is a female singing, and at others just a really odd male (the first draft of this paragraph was all about a female vocalist, then I did some actual research and learned the truth). It is really odd, I can tell that he's British, but other then that I am at a loss.

The music off of Moving World is an odd conglomeration of styles. I hear elements of funk, jazz, classic rock, singer-songwriter, soul, Latin, etc, etc. Each of the songs begins in one fashion and then heads into another at one point or another. Track two, "Pulse," begins with a bluesy classic rock riff, then moves into a funk/soul blend. The following, "Exit Domino," spends most of it's time with only the (odd) voice and a plucked guitar melody, but at parts it becomes much more involved with a semi-impressive drum-cymbal collaboration and a much more heavy guitar (but still not close to metal by any means). The best part of the song is towards the end when the vocals cut out and the guitar goes into a frantic solo-style with a keyboard/maybe-guitar over it all. It all builds into this crescendo and then dies suddenly and drastically, leaving only a single wailing guitar. Probably the best song on the EP.

Throughout it all there is that solo-songwriter style of a focus on vocals and guitar, with the rest of the instruments only getting the green light to truly perform when the vocals are dormant. The final track is the best example of this; "Hermethio" begins with a big band sound, with piano, flute, strings, moving drums and a couple of guitars, their only instrumental track. This song shows that the act can pull off some decent music, but the rest of the disc doesn't really support this theory.

All in all... um, I don't know. I don't have some witty way to wrap up Syd Arthur. The music is eclectic and odd... but good. The vocals are... weird to say the least. There are a few good moments on Moving World, and a couple decent songs. The band knows how to play, and how to write some compelling music, but there is something missing in their conception. If you are in market for something interesting and odd then Syd Arthur may be just your bag, give them a spin and let me know what you think.

--K-

Buy here

Gumshen - What You Make It

Every time a new Gumshen CD is hand delivered to me by Postman Sal, I get overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions. First, it’s elation. Sal inevitably cringes and recoils in fear as I burst from behind my desk, give the old dude a bear hug, and thank him for being conceived, his parents for conceiving him, and his parent’s parents for conceiving them. He’ll leave and I’ll return to my chair, staring with that gleeful smirk that I get. Second, I’m overcome with this sense of privilege and power, for I have the new Gumshen in my possession and you don’t . . . Ha! Take that you cretins! Then, there’s the crash of reality. Third, I’m dropped into a mirthful state of depression, for how . . . how many more words can I hammer out to describe what I know will be a sonic thrill ride without repeating myself? I mean, I’ve reviewed the bands last three releases, they have achieved that near God-like stature in my music collection. Where can I go with the written word? And then it hits me . . . WWGD. What Would Gumshen Do?

I had to channel my inner Gumshen. Plain and simple. Even if I never achieve the godhead status of Gumshen with my own craft, the very least I can do is make the attempt. So . . . here goes:

What You Make It is technically the fifth release from this musical wonderment known as Gumshen, the fourth under the actual Gumshen name, and arguments will rage for evermore that this is the best recording to date. That argument will last only as long as you’re playing it . . . and then you’ll go back and drop in March of the Februaries, Super Buffet, or Stew and you’ll swear those are the best. What I’m getting at is this: Gumshen never fail to deliver a product that will please you as a listener, inspire you as an artist, challenge you as an intellect, or frustrate you as a music critic. I say frustrate because writing about these guys is one of those exercises in futility, for one will never actually capture the true essence of the music by merely chucking a bunch of words onto a page. What describer can I possibly plant in front of my nouns and verbs that I haven’t used before? Ah ha! I’ll make up my own! No . . . no, that’s just silly.

“Not Every One Of Us” opens the disc with a great modern pop-rock sound (no . . . not the sugary treat that explodes in your mouth), crisp guitars and keys plinking a simple little melody, the drums join in and help build the tempo, the bass saunters on in and adds the sultry textures . . . and then Ron Hippe’s vocals stop the world and we melt into a puddle of ourselves. At times, I hear a resemblance to Daryl Hall in that voice. Soulful, yet with a playful air, Hippe’s voice gets me on this track much like it did on “Dandelions” (Stew) or “Gone Too Soon” (Super Buffet). The song as a whole is a marvelous piece of music and another great example of how this band can compose a four minute track to sound like a mini-epic. The use of volume swells, added instrumentation at the chorus, changing tempo and mood . . . it’s all worked to perfection to create a song that takes the listener on a journey to soaring heights.

Now follow that track up with “I Know You Girl”, get ready to polish off the platform shoes and get your 70’s dance floor funk going on. The song starts with a cool piano piece that kind of sounds out of place in light of where the song goes, but is way cool nonetheless. Once the band kicks in together, we’re hand delivered a track that should be the highlight of any dance club on this, or any other planet. I can hear it now being remixed by every mix master this-that or another and filling every club with sweaty bodies gyrating to this funky ass bass line. I love the guitar line over the rhythm . . . it’s just the dynamic texture that separates this rhythmic groove sound from all the rest of the hyper hip shakers that have come before it. Classic Gumshen. The re-interpretation of a musical style. Create a sound, push the envelope on where that sound will go, and then push it some more. This track doesn’t just sit comfortably in a funk mode though, we get a little rap and 70’s-style progressive rock in here as well. These guys found a way to break up the groove and take the song into this great guitar and keyboard driven riff, and then they bring it all back to the funk groove . . . all without losing the listener, and in just over four minutes! Fucking brilliant!

“Krypton” is a stunner. Heavy and ominous, introduced by a delayed guitar riff and then propelled through the stratosphere by some heavy rhythms, this song has an overpowering sense of dread to it. This is a side to Gumshen that I had yet to hear, and they tackled the darkened vibes with a natural grace that makes me hope that they’ll explore these tones in the future. The major ear-perking moment occurs at just about 58 seconds into the song. The song goes from a space-y, quasi-psychedelic meandering to a tight and heavy riff, made special by the vocal performance and made spectacular by the backing vocal accompaniment. Very few bands can execute a vocal performance that becomes a focal point of a song, making it more powerful than if performed in a standard vocal approach . . . CS&N(Y) and the prog-tastic soundings of Pure Reason Revolution come to immediate mind of acts who use vocals to such moving emotional and dramatic power. I’m simply amazed. New wrinkle, same band. This track is clocking in at just over three minutes and has more textural dynamics than most fifteen minute prog-epics!

Overall, there’s a darker element underlying this recording than previous Gumshen efforts, and that’s fine by me. Oddly enough, this record has a sparse feeling in comparison to the bands back catalog despite the massive instrumentation. It’s almost like they wrote these songs for a symphony, yet played them as stripped down as possible. The music is still as complex as balancing the national budget, but not unlistenable. Me thinks this has to do with the bands innate ability to work such great melodies into their music . . . that melody acts as a metal detector on an afternoon hike through a minefield. I also love that this band has shown consistent growth year after year after year. Every CD that lands in my lap seems to outdo the one before it, but never completely disregards it either . . . the discs are all complimentary of one another and ultimately chronicle the bands history. If Stew was the infant just learning to walk, we might be looking at What You Make It as a young adolescent seeing the world through the eyes of experience. What the next record will be we will have to wait and see.

Pope

www.gumshen.com

Uriah Heap - Demons & Wizards.

Today, we welcome Klepto to the Ripple fold.  You can find his missives at his own site, The Klepto's Guide to Awesome Music.  A prog fiend, he'll fill in Ripple readers on the joys of prog and other associated heaviness.  For today, we're gonna re-run his earlier review of a classic album, Uriah Heap's Demons & Wizards.

It's been a while, and I have at least two articles that could use my attention, but I just listened to Demons & Wizards again and I feel the need to tell you all about this spectacular album. I've already gone into the history of Uriah Heep (way back in January of 2009) so I don't need to go into to much detail on that front. They were/are a British band that is one of the foundations of hard rock and heavy metal music. More specifically, they are the forerunners of progressive rock and - by extension - progressive metal. They were among the first to use dual lead guitars, and layered semi-operatic vocals. Many of their songs were narratives, telling of mystical battles and amazing people; Demons & Wizards was no different. I like every song on this album, with favorites being "The Wizard," "Traveler In Time," "Easy Livin'," and "Rainbow Demon." All of these songs tell a story, filled with emotion and quite often mysticism.

"The Wizard" is the story of a man living his life, when one day a mighty Wizard comes to his fire. Their the narrator shares his food with his guest, and the Wizard tells the story of his life, his hopes and his dreams. This song was the first single from the album, and even though it wasn't as popular as the second ("Easy Livin'"), it is by far my favorite song on the album, and one of my favorites from the band.

In "Traveler In Time," there seems to be a double meaning. In the foreground, the tale is of a man who is lost in time, struggling to get back to his home, to see his love once more. But the background story, with mention of paying for his crime, being set free, searching for an answer and in the last line "of helping mankind" I believe that the reason the man is traveling through time to to either atone or to fix a mistake he had made in the past. So he journeys to return to his own time, however that it has been altered.

The second single off the album, and one of their most popular, "Easy Livin'," seems to be the most straight-forward song thus far. A quasi-love song about a man saying that his life has gotten a lot easier sense he met the woman he loves. Although not as lyrically deep as "The Wizard," the song has a grooving guitar and drum line, and the lyrics are simple to sing along with - something that would become very popular in the 80's (songs with simple lyrics; read: AC/DC)

My second favorite song, "Rainbow Demon," is another one with simple to comprehend lyrics. The song is about a great warrior (the Rainbow Demon) who "Lives for his sword and his gun." And while there aren't a lot of lyrics (one verse, repeated twice), the music for this one seems to follow the Black Sabbath of doom metal - of course with the progressive touch of Uriah Heep. The song begins slow and ominous, with not much in the way of actual music, relying heavily on David Byron's vocals, until the chorus when the band all comes in. here the sound is massive and all-encompassing; the layered vocals make their appearance, and the song grows with the second verse, laying it all out there with the final chorus. Then the chorus continues, being repeated a dozen times (it seems like), fading into the nothingness of sound that begins the track. It really is something that is better to hear and behold, then try to comprehend with my words on the screen. Go buy this album, it is worth it solely for this song (and "The Wizard" of course).

My one major gripe about the record - it even being not very major - is about the last song, "Paradise/The Spell." These are two very good and very different songs, that some some reason they decided to jam together as one track. The transition is sudden and sloppy, with the slower "Paradise" being drowned out with the more up-beat "The Spell." It just seems unnatural. In my research I have seen that in later releases the songs have been split, making me wonder where the separation of the songs took place, and how. So, I would be interested in hearing the newer versions of Demons & Wizards, just for that fact. If you are like me and have only the original style, fret not for they are both good songs (with "The Spell" being the better of the two), and outside that 15-30 second smash-up, you would never know they were one song.

I could go on and on about all the songs, and even more in depth about the ones I have highlighted already. Demons & Wizards is Uriah Heep's best album, by far, and one of the golden records of the early prog-rock scene. It belongs in everyone's catalog, and should be one you listen to once a month (for me it joins with the Wall by Pink Floyd and Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory). The only way this album could be better is if contained "Gypsy" off of their first album, Very 'Evy . . .Very 'Umble (labeled as their self-titled in the U.S.), and my all time favorite by the band, as well as one of my favorite songs of all time, "Lady In Black" off of their second album, Salisbury.

--Klepto

Buy here: Demons & Wizards

World Premiere of Fen's New Video "Miracle" Debuts on Heavy Planet

 

We’ve been talking about this for a few months and it’s all finally coming true . . . Fen’s first official video is complete and ready to be viewed by the masses! Tuesday, February 8^th, the video for the band's second single from the Trails Out of Gloom album, “Miracle”, will exclusively air on the Heavy Planet web site (hint, hint . . . view the video here .   Heavy Planet) before it’s made available through other viewing avenues. At the same time, “Miracle” is landing on the desks of radio programmers across the nation in a concerted effort to push the track. Produced by Mind of a Snail Co. and featuring a couple of hand-made marionettes, the video tells the visual tale of two young lovers finding out just how miraculous love can be.

“The speaker is pining to regain the initial spark of a relationship,” states singer/guitarist Doug Harrison on the meaning behind the song. “He pleads with whatever mysterious power brought them together, hoping that it will help him fully remember that miraculous union, and through this knowledge, bring them closer together again,” he explains.



In support of Trails Out of Gloom, Vancouver’s progressive alt-gloomsters are preparing for dates across Canada in the Spring, as well as a special tour that will feature live performances in select ghost towns. More information will be made available as soon as the details are worked out on all fronts! 

Video:  Heavy Planet

Here's what the press has to say about Trails Out of Gloom:

"Consistently enchanting from start to finish, Trails Out of Gloom is one of the more rapturous releases you're likely to encounter in quite some time.  It is fantastic in every way.  Highest possible rating, 16/16." -- Progressions Magazine

"It’s one of the better if not the best release in 2010!” – Prognaut

"Doug Harrison is one of the new remarkable talent in the prog scene. Beautifully structured songs that almost drown in the right emotions and are decorated with tasteful arrangements.  Fen resembles Anathema meets Threshold , but with an original, unique angle.” – Lords of Metal

www.fenmusic.ca

www.ripple-music.com

Ripple Theater – Rush – Beyond The Lighted Stage

“The band you know. The story you don’t”

Well, that’s not totally true. I guess that statement depends on just how big a Rush fan one is. Take me, for instance. I own darn near every album, seen the band live around four times since the late 80’s, watched the live DVD’s through all of the various bonus features, and have read at least two books on the history of the band and three of the four Neil Peart travelogue’s . . . (deep inhale) so the informative content of Beyond the Lighted Stage wasn’t all that knew for me. However, spending three hours or so watching one of the bands that has been a constant musical companion through life is always time well spent. Watching the trio in various situations was like hanging out with old friends, a group of people who I know on an intimate level though have never personally met. It was almost like I was catching up with my college chums over a nice meal and a few glasses of wine.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is brought to us by the wonderful production team of the Banger Brothers, the same group that brought us last year’s fantastic Iron Maiden documentary, Flight 666. If you’re one of the folks who’s spent the time immersing themselves in that epic piece of film, then you should have an idea of the production quality of this one. The team of Scott McFadyen and Sam Dunn takes us through the rich history of Rush, starting with the childhood of both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the musical development of both kids and their eventual meeting with original Rush drummer, John Rutsey, and eventually the addition of “the new guy,” Neil Peart. Broken up into numerous chapters, the early portion of the documentary introduces us to the parents of the members of the band, which I feel helps give the band that extra human element. Due to this bands god-like reverence from its fans, it’s easy to forget that these guys are flesh and blood, emotional animals like the rest of us, and the inclusion of the family members is a nice, heart-warming touch that acts a subtle reminder that Rush is made up of real life people.

The rest of the documentary runs through the band's meandering and weaving rise to fame. They didn’t do it the easy way, never achieved the chart success of their peers, or had the super-nova explosion of fame. Rush started by playing music that they loved listening to and created their own success without sacrificing their integrity or ideals. I can’t think of any other band, especially coming up in the 70’s that the same thing can be said about. As Gene Simmons says in one of his many interview snippets about the band, “They’re fearless.” The band never shied away from something that they were told couldn’t be done. They never took the easy path in creating their art when the more difficult path was available . . . and more interesting. They never conformed to the ever changing world in which we live in, and based on the band’s continued success, especially in the way of touring, Rush can kinda’ sit back and nod the heads in approval as to how everything turned out.

Beyond the Lighted Stage is filled with great commentary from a number of artists who hold the band in reverence like so many fans around the world. As already mentioned, Gene Simmons adds his two cents, Sebastian Bach, Kirk Hammett (Metallica,) Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails,) Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters,) and Vinnie Paul (Pantera) are but a few who have been touched by Rush in one way or another, and though we may not hear the direct influence in each of these bands’ sounds, the indirect influence is just as important in creating the music of tomorrow. The Jack Black segments are pretty damn funny, especially when he starts singing . . . good comedy. Oh . . . and speaking of comedy, make sure you throw in disc 2 and watch the segment of the lads eating dinner. Damn! I knew these guys had a sense of humor, but after a few consumed bottles of wine, Lifeson’s banter had me damn near in tears. Watching this portion of the film is the highest highlight for me because it’s the moment where the members of Rush are suddenly vulnerable human beings, enjoying some time that only a life-long friendship can create.

One other must see moment on this disc, specifically disc 2, is the performance of "Cygnus X-1." I’ve said it for the past twenty-five years, Alex Lifeson is the most underrated rock guitarist out there, and this performance is one of those moments that has me shaking my head and wondering why he isn’t mentioned in the same breath as his peers. His emotional attack and dynamic approach on this song is otherworldly . . . the volume swells, the bizarre chord changes, the lightening fast scale runs, the palm muted riffing . . . seriously, breath taking!

Beyond the Lighted Stage is an excellent documentary on a band that has been doing what they’ve been doing for almost forty years. The video has humor, it’s informative, highly entertaining . . . it’s everything one could ask for in a documentary. With that being said, there’s no way that three hours of edited video footage is going to give you the most comprehensive information on Rush. For the casual fan or those who want to learn a little more about Rush, the documentary is perfect. For the Rush fans who wake up with "YYZ" rattling in their heads coz’ that’s just how brilliant the song is, then Beyond the Lighted Stage is simply a must have to complete the collection. My advice for those who want to know more about the band is this: Purchase and watch said documentary, then run out and purchase and read Contents Under Pressure written by Martin Popoff and Rush: Chemistry by Jon Collins. Both books go into an insane amount of detail about the history of the band, the recording of each album, the trials and tribulations of the subsequent tours, and the philosophical and personal conflicts within in the band. And, of course, you can’t really know the band unless you listen to the music, so . . . go out and buy all of the albums and spin ‘em ‘til your head explodes.  -  Pope

Buy here:  Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD]
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage [Blu-ray]

www.rushbeyondthelightedstage.com

www.rush.com

Abigail's Ghost - D_letion

Abigail’s Ghost should have been formed a generation ago, following hard on the heels of noisemeisters like Nine Inch Nails and Curve, but there is a gap of 12 or 13 years before the guitar and powerhouse drumming sound of Abigail's Ghost came along as the natural followup. The bastard stepchildren of King Crimson’s love for unusual chord changes but with a love for the ‘90’s noise, the make a noble effort to combine both.

Abigail’s Ghost second album, d_letion, is a sonic battering ram. Expertly mixed the band turns in a killer opening track that lays down their intentions, with a guitar fuzz that morphs into a hard riffing song about an obsession that might be love or might be hate. Does it matter at a certain point? You can try to downplay me/But I’ll never go away/I’m getting close to breaking through/In spite of what you say/It’d be best to recognize/That I’m not afraid to put you on display  The break moving into a sledgehammer of guitars with deliciously atonal solo from the Berkelee Graduate Lead guitarist Joshua Theriot.

Black lace wears its breathy sexuality on its sleeve. The New Orleans based Theriot sings about the rich girl that we’ve all seen: Prada boots and prescription pills/Born and raised in the Hollywood hills/She’s daddy’s little girl/Not a care in the world/With a trust fund paying the bills. But it’s the swirling break that catapults the song from its echoing arpeggios onto the edge of a dangerous cliff. "Sneak Peek" takes much the same approach, a beautiful lipstick tinged love letter from the stalker to the stalked. But, smartly, after bringing the hammer down on so many songs, "Sneak Peek" keeps its tension, never finding its sonic orgasm.

"Romantique Life" is my favorite track, the band, which has members living in two different cities, makes good use of sonic space, pounding the guitar intro into our brains before choking it off and using a moving, dancing bass line under the lyrics: Take a trip inside my head/Taste the fruit that makes me dead/A simple drug is a simple fix/And an amateur way for you to get your kicks. When the chorus finally comes in, the guitar returns, with a complicated riff out Living Colour’s impossible-to-play "babigails ghost". The echo drenched solos stretches from "Bridge of Sighs" to "Cult of Personality."

"Cinder Tin" combines the beauty of the velvet glove that Abigail’s Ghost loves to wield. The expertly controlled drumming of John Rodrigue and sonic landscape controlled by keyboardist Brett Guillory makes this the soundtrack of a movie that you’ve never seen but know by heart. By the time that Joshua Theriot and rhythm guitarist Randy LeBoeuf kick it in, they’ve highjacked the romantic thriller into Terminator-land with Theriot firing off a precise flurry of notes on a high speed solo.

"Gemini Man" makes some deeper statements about male identity that would seem out of place on an album like this, but they show Theriot and LeBoeuf digging a little deeper than the Bourbon Street beads. He’s someone to question/Who he wants to be/Decent family man/Or an absentee/All these lives put on a shelf/Compromise the one he’s made himself.

"Easy A" follows the album into the realm of unloosened sexuality, the anxious student, offering her self, seducing the teacher, who happens to be female as well. The carnival sideshow of mirror that highjacks the second half of the song may well as be the musical orgasm that was missing from "Sneak Peek". The most telling line of the song is the final one. After the seduction has succeeded, there is a knock at the door.

"Grave Concerns" closes out the album, a guitar player’s love of intertwining lines and notes. One can imagine Abigail’s Ghost Theriot and LeBoeuf figuring out the delicate fingerpicking over beers late at night and creating a beautiful two minute and twenty five second coda to an album of high powered and mood drenched rock.

Abigail’s Ghost second album is a winner and worth playing at high volume for its clarity of recording. Not a note gets missed.

Ready to head down to Bourbon Street himself – the fearless rock iguana