With the ever increasing growth in popularity of progressive music of any sub genre, there must come a time when the number of global fans is exceeded by the number of bands who aspire to make the grade. I don't know when the saturation point will be broached but if Wheatstone Bridge are lucky enough to garner sufficient support in a relatively short period of time, they may well find the road ahead less troublesome.
Wheatstone Bridge attack the songs on this 3 song, 20 minute demo with as much gusto as a chain saw wielding banshee on steroids. These guys rock in a big way with some very clever drumming, using a plethora of triplets and nice fills that come off pretty cleanly and accurately. Their mode of delivery is heavily augmented by some great guitar work, slightly reminiscent of an old English band called Home from the 70's in that they adopt a similar style of playing while maintaining their own inspirations and virtuosic techniques to produce a more modern, heavier and raw edged sound. Possessing an inspiring way of bringing their songs together I am reminded slightly of some of the better work by bands like Land Of Chocolate and Bubblemath, although with so few songs to review, it becomes a bit harder to really analyze this band fully and do them proper justice. Although not sounding too similar, if you were familiar with other bands such as Smokin Granny, Yezda Urfa, possibly, Spaced Out and Mastermind, you might want to add this band to your wants list. You could also visit their website and download a few MP3 tracks, just to be sure.
With heavy, chugging riffs aplenty playing in unison with some amazingly complex arrangements and a totally bewildering array of different and difficult time signatures, I don't know whether the public is going to look upon this offering merely as some incredibly talented musicians showcasing their dexterity or whether they will be taken seriously enough for the cohesiveness of their songwriting. The challenge here is to be able to absorb and process the amazing amount of musical information without being seriously overwhelmed. For some this will be a walk in the park while others might find it a bit intimidating. Personally, I liken this to watching a new, groundbreaking video where you see an amazing amount of "Matrix" like action but wonder at how far technology and imaginative ideas can be taken. You can see the action but don't believe it was done by humans. There can be no denying the insanely and oft times breakneck speed with which the drummer hammers away at the skins and cymbals and to his credit, he manages to keep up with proceedings very well considering the overall speed and difficulty of the songs.
Structurally, the songs contain just sufficient vocals to help reduce the impact of the aural pummeling these guys serve up but I must warn you, this music isn't aimed at the faint-hearted. For anyone into seriously complex music this could be a band to watch in the future. This is, however, certainly not the best example of a band you would play to your friends if you were trying to introduce them to progressive music as the complexity and downright frenetic mayhem might scare them off totally.
It would be a brave punter who could bank on any new band breaking through these days, given the enormous costs of touring and studio time required to record the desired output, however, I like the balls-to-the-wall approach these guys adopt with their music. Perhaps, for some, there is a bit too much emphasis on trying to squeeze too much music into too small a space but despite that, with this band, you can certainly expect the unexpected. I can't wait for the whole shebang. Well done guys! This could be the beginning of something great!
Track Listings:
1) Application One
2) Application Two
3) Application 3.1
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