NMC #84 (TREMONTI & SYD ARTHUR)

[Niels (Mod)]

TREMONTI - ALL I WAS

1. Leave It Alone
2. So You're Afraid
3. Brains
4. The Things I've Seen
5. Giving Up

From artistdirect.com:

Like James Hetfield, Dimebag Darrell, and Jerry Cantrell, Mark Tremonti is the rare talent who can not only rip, but also write an unforgettable song.

His solo debut, All I Was, perfectly tips the scales between all-out shredding and hypnotic hooks. In essence, it's everything that a classic metal record should be. This is the heavier side of Tremonti, which has always bubbled up in Creed and Alter Bridge. Now, it's unleashed and primed to destroy.

Album opener "Leave It Alone" roars with an infectious riff, tempered by pinch harmonics and unpredictable lead work. The refrain could bring an arena to its feet, and Tremonti's voice remains pristine, potent, and powerful. He's an impressive singer in his own right, and the first jam out the gate proves that.

"This time I'm leaving," he declares over a bombastic beat from drummer Garrett Whitlock and rhythm guitars and bass from Eric Friedman. A haunting ethereal bridge bleeds right into a bluesy solo from Tremonti, and the record commences with a proper bang worthy of reverence from casual rock fans and tastemakers alike.

"So You're Afraid" thrashes intensely like "Creeping Death" 2012 before slipping into a resounding vocal verse. Then, there's "Wish You Well" which brandishes both fret fireworks and a massive chanting chorus sending off an adversary. The psychedelic "Brains" echoes Alice In Chains before dropping into a Pantera-size stomp. On the other end of the spectrum "New Way Out" glides from clean six-string melodies into some truly impressive vocals from Tremonti. It's the kind of pensive anthem you never forget.

"Giving Up" and "Doesn't Matter" equally showcase how diverse and dynamic of a player Tremonti really is, while "Decay" provides a fitting heavy bookend to the album's rollercoaster. At the end of the day, All I Was stands out as perfect from top to bottom. Tremonti deserves to be hailed with the greats…

SYD ARTHUR - ON AN ON

1. First Difference
2. Edge Of The Earth
3. Ode To The Summer
4. Promise Me
5. Moving World

From the very well-know site grumpyrocker.co.uk:

So what have Syd Arthur managed to produce since they last darkened the Grumpyrocker doors? Well nearly ten months have passed and through On and On, Syd Arthur have created a wonderfully crafted album, that belies their tender ages and builds on everything that Ode to the Summer promised. The psychedelia music that Syd Arthur have marked as the cornerstone of their operation is here, as are those 60s and 70s influences. However, by carefully blending in music that sounds relevant now, Syd Arthur have produced an album, not stuck in a timewarp, but relevant to today.

Edge of Earth highlights how far musically Syd Arthur can develop when compared with Ode to the Summer. The opening sawing strings would sound ominous on a guitar; instead they are a beginning from which a guitar can burst into life, before a rapid pace is picked up by guitar and soft drums / cymbals. It is into this rhythm that Liam Magill breathes life, as his individual vocal style shines over the top and adds a wonderful spark to the music. Increasingly Syd Arthur have concentrated on creating depth to their music, Edge of Earth takes backing vocals and the soft sweeps of strings to provide that lushness to the music, with a huge debt of gratitude to Raven Bush's composition skills.

Dorothy though is a surprising little number, drawing inspiration from lounge music and is an intimate moment with Syd Arthur for the listener, a moment when you can pour a tall drink and sit back and enjoy. To counter that laissez-faire style, Truth Seeker winds in the electric guitar and sets it off rolling around in homage to psychedelic rock, with Liam's vocals reaching impassioned effort levels that extend the zone in which he and the band operate. Continuing this variety of themes, Black Wave is more solidly footed in the folk genre and feels like it should be a canticle found in the distant recesses of Canterbury life, not that Syd Arthur have suddenly reached for the Good Book, it simply captures that very spirit of such an important Christian City.

However, there is always something appealing about delivering everything in the final number. Paradise Lost is the final track on On and On and is a heady mix of sounds that demonstrates Syd Arthur know how to find the fusion point between rock, folk and psychedelia in a referenced jam session of a tune. It is the type of track that you could imagine a middle section extended out ad infinitum as the guitar wails, affected vocals intermittently silence the wails, whilst the drum keeps a steady rhythm. The track swirls away into the ebbing and flowing of effects which becomes hypnotic, before the musical fog is pierced by a picked guitar and Liam's vocals that echo in and out of the mists. This simply leads into a frenetic section, before the Paradise Lost ends in a reversal of music. Could this be akin to taking Interstellar Overdrive, dousing it in folk and adding lyrics?

It has taken Syd Arthur six years to get to the point of releasing On and On, yet there isn't a track on the album that sounds as though it is a six year old idea. Syd Arthur's Ode to the Summer is not a reference to the damp miserable summer endured by the British, instead it, along with the other tracks that make up On and On, are an exciting reminder of how music can be freshly crafted from influences that this quartet were born decades apart from.

And you can listen right here:

http://www.sharesnack.com/F9CA5FD9E8C/au9qbl05

[RJhog (Admin)]

Tremonti (Thumbs Even)

I'm a bit disappointed with this one.  Don't get me wrong, his vocals are okay, but nothing particularly amazing.  I was expecting more production and experimentation with this album.  I've only listened all the way through once, and there was neither of the above.  I will listen some more, but the songs all sound the same.  And the drumming is too over-the-top.  Tremonti, you rock, and this is your solo album, so have the drummer lay back a bit.  And play, play, play.

Syd Arthur (Thumbs Down)

Not for me.  I listened to this last weekend, got a bunch of stuff typed, then the internet went out and I lost all of it.  So instead of trying to retype what I can't even remember I said, I'll just use Niels favorite descriptive word of late...it's boring.  A total snooze-fest.  It's not for me.

Niels, although I didn't give a thumbs up to either of these, I like the post.  I really like checking out what my friends are listening too, and you, Jon and Scott are three very good friends, although I haven't personally met any of you guys.  Keep posting your new music, I'm bound to like something.  I think it was you that originally posted The Gaslight Anthem and I have totally been into this band since (and I'm the only one here that likes them, which sucks for you guys this coming weekend).

[Niels (Mod)]

Thanks, RJhog. I really appriciate your kind words.

NMC is one of my favorite places on CRB, and I will continue to listen and also post new music myself, even though you guys don't really like what I'm posting. Not next time, but the time after that I will probably post the new Bob Dylan, and I don't expect any of you will like it.

By the way, I kind of agree with you and Mike. Tremonti is not as good as expected. I've heard it 1.5 times, and it's not an album. I'm going to listen to that much (3 out of 6).

Syd Arthur was a mistake. I shouldn't had bought it. I agree, that it's  boring as hell. (2.5 out of 6) 

[Mike Mills]

Tremonti 

I love the guitar!!! I just wish there was more of it! The vocals are good, nothing really irritated me, except parts of "Brains". The issue I have with this though, is so much other music sounds like this. It all meshes & blends together. There's nothing that stands out & distinguishes it. After the first song, they all started sounding the same. Even when they tried to go  little heavier, the vocal was the same. Not a bad listen, I didn't hate it. I loved the guitar solos, but I don't know if that's enough to hold my interest.

Syd Arthur

This is more distinct. I appreciate the break from Tremonti's monotony. Musically, this is a good listen, but the vocals are distracting. I'm just not a fan of the style, it's similar to that of Andy Powell from Wishbone Ash.

Although, niether album overly impressed me, I always Iove rading your reviews! They're always descriptive, knowledgable & entertaining!!!

[Niels (Mod)]

Thanks, Mike. Yeah, I'm good at finding those reviews.  Did you think, I wrote them myself? 

But I'm glad you like them.

[Mike Mills]

Don't destroy the illusion!!!

[Niels (Mod)]

Sorry. Next time, I won't give it away, by writing "From Artistdirect.com" or "From the very well-know site grumpyrocker.co.uk" 

You can always find my very own reviews by all the spelling-errors. It's only Jon around here, that knows any danish, so I have to write in a (for me) foreign language.

[Scott]

TREMONTI ... Thumbs even

Really liked the first two songs thought he was heading in a very cool heavy melodic direction.  And then he shifted into a retro 90's depressing mode with that Brains tune.  "Things I've Seen" is quite nice and then we end with Giving Up which I did'nt care for until the geetar kicked in at 3:32-ish, then it seemed to have a better feel.  3.25 out of 5, not terrible but not purchasable either.

SYD ARTHUR ... Two thumbs down

Any relation to Bea?  I'm thinking Dorothy is a tribute to the Golden Girls?  But you didn't post that one... I don't know why but I'm thinking this, but this would be a much better listen when sitting around the kitchen table eating cheesecake.  OK, I'm stretching the comments out because this just doesn't work for me.

[Jon]

Tremonti--Thumbs 3/4 up

I despise Creed and don't like Alter Bridge but like this for the most part 'cause it's really heavy. However, song #4 bored me to tears cause it's a ballad, and not a particularly good one. And even though the other 4 songs did have a tendency to sound the same, it didn't cause me to think about those other bands that I mentioned. I liked it for the most part probably because of the chugga-chugga geetars, but won't ever purchase.

Syd Arthur--Thumbs Up

Don't know what everyone's issue is, but this isn't that bad at all. Had a slight Zeppish feel, lots of that psychedelic feel, loads of a 60's feel, more of a 70's vibe, plus some progginess. Sure, I could listen to this while in the kitchen while having a slice of cheesecake doused with some Everclear, but is that a bad thing? Hey, this also reminds me of Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians!