Big Metal Rooster CD Review
The Bi Polar Bear
Sonic Landscapes From The Heartland
This album is for any fan of music that craves young projects. For those
people that write off this band as the work of a novice outfit, that group of
people that are without a doubt elitists in the community and supported by the
only intention of being seen at a show, these cats might not be your thing just
yet. They are young and growth is what is constantly coming to my mind when
spinning their recently released disc. This recording is under produced and it
works. It is my opinion that this band is trying to get their live feel across
in the studio. There is a very good probability that this band will be making
it to a Midwestern town near you in the future and the recording most likely
gives a good representation of what you should expect live. I am speaking a
little bit uneducated about this considering the fact that I have yet to see
them perform on stage.
However, this is alternative music at her core. They might also be considered
improvisational rock, jamband, progressive, etc…These are all labels that are
easily crushed with the help of your own ears. Big Metal Rooster has the
equation down to a science, and it is always refreshing to get the younger
material as it is coming out. This is everything that a live band should try
to get across in their early studio careers: strong instrumental phrases,
inventive lyrics, a genuine focus on vocal harmonies, clean guitar work, solid
bass lines, and a real sense of communication between the players. I would also
like to add at this point that this group has one of the more talented
drummer/singer combinations in the genre today. The duality of a drummer that
can belt out vocal exercises always gets me in the good spot.
This recording is one big stream of musical consciousness. The communication
is truly there. If the intention of this recording is to get their live
message across then the attempt has been consummated. Sure, this is a series
of songs that will probably see very little radio play outside of the college
market, but that is exactly what makes these kinds of projects gems. A large
part of the allure with Big Metal Rooster is that you won't have this material
shoved down your throat. You need to go on an exploration to find this type of
stuff. The word gets around, a musician makes contact with another musician or
hard core fan of this kind of music, and the next thing you know they are
coming to your town. It is the quest in its purest form. It is what all
artists should strive for in their various designs. I estimate that this band
can create a national draw with a minimal machine behind them. I hope to see
this group grow to that level. However, Big Metal Rooster is not for the
average fan of this genre. This recording is something that the experienced
ear will have to put into perspective. I submit that the future looks bright
for these guys, yet this disc should be approached with the frame of reference
that over production can often kill a band that thrives in the live medium.
BMR shines in this respect. This is the perfect recording to put into the
hands of a live venue owner due to the fact that it sounds like you are
listening to an actual show. There aren't any bells or whistles minus the
interesting intro to this studio project. I feel like I am at a club listening
to a band when this is spinning. I can only assume that this was their intent
in regards to the lack of production.
Impressive cuts include an epic twenty minute "Trapeze" penned by guitarist Tom
Fleming and a song that is gaining more and more play in my stereo, "Stella",
which was written by and features drummer Matt Miner on vocals. Both of these
tracks display fertile attempts at songwriting and musicianship. "The
Adventures of Herman the Frog" clocks in at 13:01 and draws upon the childhood
of Matt Miner and his relationship with his father with the help of Fleming in
the compositional department, while "Sweet Surroundings" displays the highly
absorbing writing abilities of Fleming and bassist Derek Hein. The entire
scheme of this effort is accented by the talents of acoustic guitarist Luke
Henry
Extremely accessible - which is hard to say in this growing genre - Big Metal
Rooster has everything that it takes to be a regional and (ultimately) national
draw. Not unlike some of the more prominent bands in this community, BMR
provides a studio interpretation of what they hope to bring to the stage every
night. They goof, artfully carouse, and successfully display stirring realism
and technical ability throughout these six songs. Total playing time is 73:23
and you really can't ask for a better price tag on such a newly fledged
project. This cd is best played with the understood notion that these guys are
trying to get a name out there for the club circuit.
The future looks luminous for these four guys. I personally cannot wait to
welcome them to Chicago. http://www.bigmetalrooster.com
-Robert Champion
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Phish...They'll scare the shit back into you.
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