Tilt - Million Dollar Wound EP Review

Great (four stars out of five)

Though its first offering is a mere 5 songs lasting for one half hour, Tilt makes a very strong statement with its debut EP Million Dollar Wound. At the helm of this project is Steve Vantsis, who most recently worked with ex-Marillion singer Fish on the album 13th Star. With a long list of other contributors, this is an album that has plenty of different sounds to offer, which gives an added layer of enjoyment to Vantsis's great songwriting.

Of the five songs, two are male-fronted, while the other three are sung by a variety of female singers. The two tracks with male vocals feature Paul Dourley, whose voice and vocal style remind me more than a little of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. The first track, "No Superman," seems to mix classic rock in the Fish style with a 90s grunge feel, which is perhaps another reason that I get the Soundgarden feeling from it. Comparisons aside, it's a great rock song without a whole lot of surprises.

The latter Dourley song, "Answers," is a longer track with a bit more variety to it, making it more enjoyable to my ears. It's got a more inventive instrumental backing, and the overall progression of the song lends itself better to repeated listens, with more rises and falls than the former track. Furthermore, I absolutely love the vocal melodies in this track.

The three songs featuring female vocalists are perhaps my favorites on the EP. The first of which, "Long Gone," is a largely acoustic-driven track that fits very well with the airy singing of Kaela Rowan. The distorted guitar solo that helps to close the track is a great choice sonically, adding a bit of intensity to the ending crescendo. This is a standout track that really shows what this grouping of musicians can do.

The next track, "Gravity," is somewhat similar, but swaps the vocalists for Holly Tomas. Honestly, her voice is quite similar to that of Rowan, and the tracks share a similar acoustic, slow feel before rising somewhat in intensity in the latter half. Despite its similarities to the last track, it's extremely enjoyable, with some understated orchestral arrangements and piano providing a rich, almost haunting sound.

"Adore," the albums fifth and final track, is another somewhat longer track, though it differs considerably from "Answers," returning to the female vocals (again provided by Tomas) and again building a slower, somewhat haunting soundscape. The longer length of this one gives the opportunity to explore more highs and lows, and while there aren't quite as many changes in this seven-minute song as I might have hoped for, the rhythm and overall feel of the track does change up at right about the midpoint. The closing sections have a choral feel to them, with layers of backing vocals helping to give the track some added power. It's another very nice track, and one that doesn't make the short running time of the disc any easier to stomach.

As a first offering, this album is an absolute success. Vantsis proves that he's able to choose musicians very well, and his songwriting is certainly up to the task. Million Dollar Wound is apparently the first in a series of short EPs; I'd love to see how the band would handle a full-length album. Until that happens, Tilt is a band that should appeal to a variety of listeners, and depending on how much they develop new sounds in their next albums, they could definitely be a band to watch very, very closely.

Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com

This Week's Featured Album: Dredg - The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion

I've previously featured Dredg's "El Cielo" in this section, so some readers may already be familiar with this ever-changing band. The recently released album, The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion" shows the band taking even more steps to evolve its sound, incorporating a variety of new sounds into their fantastic melodies and varied harmoines. Ever wondered what a touch of disco would do to Dredg's sound? This album will answer that question for you.

The beauty of Dredg's music is that it manages to be appealing just as much for those who just want some pleasant music to listen to as it is for those who want a deeper listening experience. There are plenty of nuances to the music, but the fantastic vocals and songwriting make it immediately enjoyable for any listener that enjoys this brand of rock.

Check out those samples and a good deal on the album on the right.

Also, due to a vacation, the Featured Album will be taking a break next Monday. Luckily, the album releases sound like they'll be picking up in the near future (thankfully), so hopefully I'll be able to get some new reviews up soon.

This Week's Featured Album: OSI - Blood

I wasn't able to give this a proper review back when it was released (Inside Out is very sporadic with its promos), but I was able to pick it up a few weeks ago myself. OSI is a relative rarity in progressive rock, at least in terms of the band's sound. As Kevin Moore himself has stated, the collaboration has brought about a lot of quiet varied ideas thanks to the members' varied musical tastes. The result is very understated vocals, lots of variety in the instrumentation, and an overall strong listening experience. Check out samples on the right if you've yet to hear OSI.

Abigail's Ghost - D_letion Review

Great (four stars out of five)

Abigail's Ghost debuted in 2007 and quickly received heaping praise for Selling Insincerity, though the comparisons to Porcupine Tree were brought up in nearly every mention of the band. This led many to wonder what the direction of the band would be: would they be known as a clone of Porcupine Tree, or an innovative band that took risks at every corner? With its second album, D_letion, the band steers far closer to the latter option, though some hints of Porcupine Tree remain. All comparisons aside, this is an extremely strong album--one that shines when it does take risks.

The opener on the album will connect most closely with Porcupine Tree, with a driving guitar riff and vocal melodies that would definitely fit right in on a Porcupine Tree album. However, the composition of the song and the lyrical approach are novel enough that you don't feel as if you've heard the song before, which is a defining quality of the band that allows its music to remain enjoyable even when it sounds very close to a Porcupine Tree song.

But these moments are far overshadowed by those in which the band shakes the Porcupine Tree sound and crafts wholly original and incredibly enjoyable songs. Much of these come in the latter part of the album, beginning with the fantastic "Gemini Man," which tells a fantastic story while remaining poetic. Musically, it's a slower tune with somewhat sparse instrumentation, but it's atmospheric feel helps it stand out. The next track, "Sneak Peek," takes the atmosphere to an even higher level, with a piano focus that sounds like it would fit right in at a smoky jazz club. The track works wonderfully for these musicians: it allows vocalist Joshua Theriot to explore a different vocal style, and he does it with tons of class. Furthermore, all of the instrumentalists go a wonderful job of fitting right in with that sound. One last mention must go to the haunting "Easy A," which gets kudos both for its choice of subject matter (a teacher/student affair--never heard a song quite like it) and its incredible feel, which fits absolutely perfectly with the story. It's yet another one that allows the band to tread in new territory, and it's a complete success.

There are those songs that don't stand out quite as much, though. "Black Lace" has one of the weaker verses on the album, though it does pick up quite a bit in the chorus. Conversely, "Romantique Life" has a fantastic verse but a less-exciting chorus. I'd also say that those songs that have somewhat stronger Porcupine Tree vibes are somewhat less exciting, but the fact is that they're still great.

In all, this is an album that succeeds when it surprises the listener. Overall, I feel that it's a stronger effort than Selling Insincerity for that exact reason: it offers more instances in which the listeners are likely to sit back and marvel at the ways that the band has risen above the comparisons and offered something brand new. Still, I can't help but believe that we still haven't seen everything that this band can do. The best is yet to come, and I can't wait to see what Abigail's Ghost does next. For now, this is an album that you definitely want to pick up, as there's no doubt that you'll get some great songs.

Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com

This Week's Featured Album: Explorers Club - Raising the Mammoth

Progressive rock is often criticized for its excess, and those who make such claims should steer far, far away from this release. The others among us may find a lot to like about this release, which is filled to the brim with incredible musicians, including Marty Friedman, Steve Walsh, Kerry Livgren, and so on.

Musically, it's easy to tell what you'll be getting when looking at the tracklisting: you have two songs (broken up into somewhat more manageable sections) that make up the entire disc. Furthermore, there aren't a lot of surprises for those well-versed in prog since the 70s. Nevertheless, it's a disc that those who enjoy huge progressive projects will certainly want to check out. Samples on the right will help you with that.