Sea Of Tranquility



The Web Source for Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal & Jazz-Fusion
  Search   in       
Main Menu




Giles, Thomas: Pulse

Thomas Giles is the alter-ego/pseudonym of Between the Buried and Me vocalist/keyboard player Tommy Rogers, and his debut solo album under that moniker is titled Pulse. It's completely obvious from the first listen of Pulse that these songs certainly would not find a home on a BtBaM album, and thankfully Rogers decided that he needed an outlet to bring these tunes to the masses. If you are expecting something along the lines of the extreme progressive metal he delivers with his main band, than you are in for a big shock.

Pulse is filled with soaring melodies, waves of keyboard textures, dreamy vocals, and ambient soundscapes, somewhere along the lines of Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Muse, and Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails. There's no bombastic progressive metal, no crushing, complex death metal, and no brutal hardcore. What Pulse is, is a damn fine listen from a talented singer & songwriter who obviously has a lot more up his sleeve than we ever gave him credit for. Tunes such as "Sleep Shake", "Reverb Island", "Mr Bird", and "Catch & Release" sees the singer ooze into electronica, prog, ambient, and pop realms, utilizing a variety of keyboards, drum programming, and guitars, while also delivering plenty of vocal styles. Thick power chords battle a wealth of keyboards on the industrial "Hamilton Anxiety Scale", while the dark "Suspend The Death Watch" has a creepy Pink Floyd-meets-Porcupine Tree feel to it, as Rogers' yearning vocals float over gentle percussion and soothing keyboard washes. The swirling pop melancholia of "Hypoxia" ends the album on a somber tone, complete with gorgeous piano textures and haunting vocals. Fans of Blackfield will love this dreamy piece.

Though I'm not sure Between the Buried and Me's loyal fanbase will embrace or appreciate what Rogers has done here, there's no doubt that he's poured his soul out to us on Pulse. This is something completely different from the BtBaM frontman, and an album that has a lot to offer, but perhaps to a different audience than his main band performs to.


Track Listing
1. Sleep Shake
2. Reverb Island
3. Mr. Bird
4. Catch & Release
5. Hamilton Anxiety Scale
6. Scared
7. Reject Falicon
8. Medic
9. Suspend The Death Watch
10. Armchair Travel
11. Hypoxia

Added: January 30th 2011
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Artist MySpace Page
Hits: 1992
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend Send to a Friend ]

  

[ Back to the Reviews Index | Post Comment ]



© 2004 Sea Of Tranquility
For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content © Sea of Tranquility

SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com