The Stereo Three
One Life Animal
Break The Chains
Tenant
To kick things off, The Stereo Three hit the stage in all their power-trio glory.
You might remember an interview + story I ran on them a while back:
An Evening With The Stereo Three
The energy was there, like a punk rock warm-up before this musical marathon. That's how it is. Duncan was ripping it up with his baritone guitar riffs, bouncing around like a madman, giving it all on the mic. Ryan's bass solo was an added bonus to his 'all feel' vocals. You could see the pain on his face. Out back on the kit, Sam kept everyone in order, while still managing to keep a grin on her face & mug for the camera... What more can I say about this band that I haven't said already? There's a lagwagon-esque feel here, with songs about getting home from the bar after the last bus has stopped running. My favourite track of the night is still 'Black Water'. It's poo. Don't drink poo.
www.myspace.com/thestereothree
Next up, One Life Animal
Duncan is back at his usual home behind the drums for this one. Think back to mid-90's glory-rock like STP or Tomahawk and you'll be right up OLA's alley. The singer has sort of a Chris Cornell thing going on, but in my opinion, the old industry saying 'eat the mic' comes into play here. When you're battling with 3 other guys playing heavy, you can't afford to move your mic away from your mouth a-la Celine Dion. I couldn't hear him half of the time because of this patented move! When he jumped off the stage, his microphone cable got tangled in the monitors, leaving it to someone in the front row untangling him. Poor planning = poor theatrics.
The singer aside, I do have some positive things to say about this band. The music is no-nonsense, belligerent loud rock. The stuff you can dig your talons into. The riffs aren't mindblowing, but they're just chunky enough. There are no 2-minute wanking solos. The bass sounds like a growling velociraptor, and it's all stapled together like a sac to a park bench by the precise, violent drums.
I'd like to see these guys continue to develop, but I just heard the news that the singer has left the band. The trio of drummer, guitarist and bassist have something to look forward to if they keep writing these throwback tunes, so I hope they can find someone to front the band who'll make a better connection to both the audience and bandmates. There was just a cold feeling up there onstage, like a disconnection, but they're putting it out there anyway. It's like driving a truck, even though the Check Engine light is on. Something's amiss, but what you see is what you get, in this the last incarnation of the band. I hope they live on with a new singer, maybe a new life for One Life? Fans of gritty alt-rock with a 90's feel will probably get into these guys.
www.myspace.com/onelifeanimal
And Now, the metal mischief of Break The Chains
I wasn't sure what to expect from these guys. The recordings I've heard online are pretty insane, so I was curious to see how they pulled it off live. After giving up on singers, the 2 guitarists in the band decided to handle vocals themselves. Actually, when drummer Duncan chipped in vocally, I thought it sounded fuckin righteous. Throat-raping-ly righteous.
Check out this video I snapped of the set and you'll see what I mean about the vocals. The shredding is top-shelf. Singer/guitarist Crash seems like the kind of guy that lives, eats and breathes METAL. He has it dead on.
'Break the Chains is an aggressive retaliation to the state of world we live in everyday served over a tight mixture of punk hardcore and melodic metal. Formed in August of 2006, Break the Chains have displayed a passion and commitment that has culminated in their debut album, 'Lights Out'. Recorded with Shawn Penner at Mushroom and District IV Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia' - lifted from myspace
I'd look for this music on a skateboard or extreme mountain biking video near you, otherwise just find yourself a nice solid brick wall or fence to smash your face off while getting into tracks from the band's new EP like 'Lines That Divide' and 'Step Down' and 'Deliver & Die'. All of which are available for a preview at www.myspace.com/breakthechainsmusic
Wrapping things up is Vancouver/Delta mainstay Tenant
These guys have been around for a couple years, infecting the Vancouver scene with their brand of experimental/screamo/soft-then-hard-then-soft-again tunes. You can't avoid comparing these guys to bands like Alexisonfire and hey, that's a good thing.
The militant chugging guitars, self-abating vocals and altogether obtuseness make Tenant a good way to wrap up the night (for those feelin a little tipsy and aggressive). As far as merch goes, this group had the most to offer, including their album.
I've seen/heard these guys before, and I can really get into the spastic, crazy energy they give off. Not something I listen to all the time, but it has its time & place, like everything. Reminds me of a band I saw a lot in my teen years, Halifax's Ermine. I think these guys are in that same sort of vein. Hardworking, Canadian, Different, but they've got their shit together. Could be export-quality with a little polish.
www.myspace.com/tenantband
**Thanks Duncan for inviting me down to the show! I'm happy to report that the drummer/guitarist/show organizer survived the night. 3 sets of loud rocking can take a physical and mental toll. But he did it!
Look for all these bands on the web or just click the links herein if you're curious.
**Thanks to Sam Armstrong of The Stereo Three for the awesome photos!
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