Flashback CD Review #66 - Slave To The System - S/T

[TageRyche]

This review was written for the Rock Is Life.com website in 2006. (2012 Update: After posting the review on the Slave To The System message board, I was invited to become a moderator for the board, which I did for a few months.)

Slave To The System
S/T
Spitfire Records - 2006
http://www.slavetothesystem.com

What's The 4-1-1?

The quartet, featuring current and former members of Queensryche and Brother Cane, mix things up to find a just about near perfect recipe of debut ripping hard rock.

Genre

Hard Rock / Rock / Power Rock

The Good

Where do I begin? This album is excellent throughout all 12 tracks. I'm not kidding. The album features the heavy hard rock songs, deft mid-tempo tracks and a sweet little power ballad called "Abyss". The title track is a searing example of how to construct a hard rocking track. The vocals and all the instrumentation combine to simply beat the listener into musical submission.

While it is great to have such a great hard rock album with little to no compromises, I did like the song "Will You Be There" which has a nice infusion of blues rock.

I speak as someone who places almost the entirety of the blame for the horrifyingly awful Queensryche album Q2K at the feet of guitarist/producer Kelly Gray. I'm not sure exactly how much and where on the album his contributions land, but considering that this is a great guitar rock CD, he may just be getting a bit of respect out of me after this.

While all member of the band acquit themselves quite well, I found the standout performance belongs to drummer Scott Rockenfield. He hasn't sounded so sublimely powerful to my ears in many an album. The drums must've been screaming in agony after he finished recording his parts.

The Bad

There's nothing to say here.

The Verdict

When I review an album, I generally need to listen to it twice. I've had this album banging around in my head four times already and it is going to get a lot more time in the CD player.

This is what a heavy rock album that crosses into heavy metal land at times should be. A collection of pounding tracks that shake any cobwebs from your brain. This is an album you NEED to have. It doesn't sound like anyone else, despite the group's musical pedigree. Slave To The System is its own musical entity and despite the upcoming new Queensryche album, I hope that STTS continues to produce more material like this and eventually mounts a concert tour.

Did You Know?

Guitarist Scott Heart contributed to this CD but is not listed as a member of the band. Scott Rockenfield runs his own production company called Rockenfield Music Productions.

Rating: 5 out of 5

[Scott]

Love the way to wrote "a sweet little power ballad called "Abyss"" - Sweet Abyss!  I think that all the time!  hahahaha

 

I wil be checking this one out!

[RJhog (Admin)]

That's a very interesting read.  I've never heard of this band.  I'll check this out.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Actually just picked this up from Amazon.  GoHastings had it for 1.49 + 2.98 S&H, so 4.47 isn't bad.  Sound clips sounded really good. 

[RJhog (Admin)]

I finally got around to giving this a spin today.  I'll have to agree with you TR, this is a very good album, from track one to track twelve.  The vocalist is really good, and in some spots he sounds A LOT like Chris Cornell.  I purchased this based on your review and I am quite satisfied with it.

Favorite song for me was Ragdoll (followed closely by the closer Walk The Line).

[TageRyche]

RJhog,

Glad I could help you make a music purchase that you liked!

[Gordon Williams]

I actually bought this CD way back, because I stumbled upon it while listening to sound bites on CDBaby.com.

I too think it's a great record. And like TageRyche and RJHog say, a couple of the slower tunes are really really fantastic. The version I have has a different cover. Good review!! ("Live This Life" is another great, slower tune on this disc).

 

[TageRyche]

Glad you liked it Gordon!