Chest Rockwell: Total Victory

Mixing alternative, indie, pop and a large dose of progressive rock, the Bowling Green, Kentucky band Chest Rockwell have just released their third album entitled Total Victory. The band consists of Josh Hines (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, electric sitar, Wurlitzer, keyboards), Nick Rouse (drums, percussion, piano), Nick Stewart (bass, keyboards, baritone guitar) and Seth Wilson (electric guitar) along with a little help from Jon Craig (omnichord, keyboards).

This is not your standard rock music, in fact, far from it. However, the band is able to take a variety of musical styles and come up with a record that is truly inventive and imaginative. Different tempo changes, electric and acoustic guitar, strong percussion, well placed sound effects and a bass guitar you can actually hear are just some of the factors that make this such a strong release. The guitar parts vary from gentle acoustic passages, intense heavy metal riffing, grunge-like rhythms or psychedelic soloing, giving these tunes an imaginative quality that is hard to ignore. The singing is also very good, utilizing strong lead vocals and nice harmonizing throughout. Though there is a lot of variety and quirkiness displayed here, this is music that could appeal to a large audience if given the chance. How often do we say that when talking about progressive rock?

The album opener, "Being an Able Man. There are Always", unlike the song title, flows nicely with its melodic rhythm guitar, soft keyboards, prominent bass and crisp percussion. There is a slight sadness conveyed and the lyrics are quite biting. The atmospheric middle section with its cool guitar sounds is a nice touch. The ultra-melodic guitar intro of "2 Pumps Away" hooks you in leading to a catchy chorus, metallic guitars and discordant rhythms, reminding me slightly of the Deadsoul Tribe. The spoken word piece, "Within 10 Paces I Cannot Fail", at times conveys a Roger Waters feel, partly due to the theme of war that pervades the song. The spoken word parts work really well with the acoustic guitar and sound effects such as helicopter, again reminding me of Waters. The album ends with the moody and dramatic "Mortal Universe" complete with beautiful vocals, heavy metal riffing and quiet parts that fit together perfectly making this my favourite on the album.

It is nice to hear a band not afraid to take chances and push their musical limits while still retaining an accessibility that many fans of melodic music could relate to. Overall, this is a strong effort and one that I recommend wholeheartedly. Nice job guys…

Track Listing:
1. Being an Able Man. There are Always.
2. 2 Pumps Away
3. Within 10 Paces I Cannot Fail
4. Body Prop
5. Body Prop 2
6. Body Prop 3
7. 11 is the New 7
8. Colossus
9. Mortal Universe

Added: April 23rd 2009
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's MySpace Page
Hits: 2357
Language: english

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