With some artists you know what to expect when they unveil a solo project. With James Dean Bradfield, the sweeping, epic nature of the Manics was toned down a touch, but the sound was no great departure from his main band. Similarly solo efforts from Steven Wilson, David Gilmour and Slash offered no great surprises. This is not to denigrate those great artists – it’s simply that, as chief songwriters in their respective acts, it was never particularly likely they’d stray too far from their main ventures.
For James Labrie, the obscenely talented frontman of progressive rock behemoths Dream Theater, however, a solo project is the perfect opportunity to get out in front and demonstrate his own, oft overlooked talents and, on ‘Impermanent Resonance’ he deploys a furious, Gothenburg-inspired metallic assault that is as welcome as it is unexpected. Not that this is a complete departure – those trademark LaBrie melodies are (thankfully) present and correct, and his unfailing ability to make even the heaviest music seem catchy is also very much to the fore, but what will surprise those who have not encountered LaBrie’s solo efforts before is the sheer verve his band display over the course of twelve cuts which pull inspiration from acts such as Soilwork and In Flames whilst adding just a pinch of Dream Theater for good measure. It’s a riotous listen, and one that will wedge itself into your head for weeks after listening.
Pressed on solid, practically noise-free 180 Gr. Black vinyl, ‘Impermanent Resonance’ is a single disc offering which comes in a handsome printed sleeve (with lyrics and liner notes) and which even offers up the entire album (plus bonus tracks) on a CD in case you’re caught short without a turntable. Side A opens with ‘Agony’ and James starts as he means to go on – huge guitar riffs, mechanistic percussion, multi-tracked vocals and hyperactive keyboards. It’s a glistening, chrome plated assault that never sounds anything less than perfect and Jens Bogren’s mixing job is a pristine example of how to make metal sound HUGE. ‘Undertow’ is something of a personal favourite, with James’ voice weaving from out of the riffs nicely contrasted against Peter Wildoer’s brutal screams. Working against a foil in this way, James’ rich voice sounds at its best and the harmonies, crucially, never detract from the incisive riffs of Marco Sfogli. ‘Slight of hand’ (sic) is a keyboard-led track that still takes time to cave your head in with a riff on the bridge before destroying any last resistance you may have had with a chorus so perfectly judged it will lodge in your head forever. In a perfect world James LaBrie would be charting everywhere around the world, for his work has more wit, invention and melody than an entire decade’s worth of tawdry talent-based TV programming, but as it is, this is a melodic, metallic gem that shows James and his merry band of miscreants at their very best. ‘Back on the ground’ is a rich, melodic treat that sounds as if it should be a single and, once again, it has the sort of chorus that lingers long in the memory and which makes you want to bounce around feeling strangely elated as Marco peels out a more restrained solo than previously displayed on the record. Getting the blood up once again, ‘I got you’ opens with the keyboards pouring over the mix in a gentle rain whilst the guitars slice and stab in the foreground, delivering an adrenalin charged slice of melodic might with a subtle progressive undercurrent that nods to Dream Theater at their heaviest and most concise. The final track of side A is ‘holding on’ which contrasts huge churning riffs with a pared-down verse that sees James’ sublime voice laid bare over the quietest of keyboard backings before the whole thing explodes into life overt the chorus.
Side B opens in a more restrained fashion, the opening track, ‘lost in the fire’, a subtle, slow-building track with electronically-enhanced drums and a multi-tracked vocal harmony that suggests James is as in love with Europe the band as well as the continent. It’s a fine bridge between the melodic bent of the classic hard rock bands and the more electronically-savvy metal of the new breed and with James’ always-excellent vocals it works perfectly. ‘Letting go’ is a monumental, grinding beast with icy, guttural vocals from Peter adding to the brutal atmosphere – definitely one to let go to – and then ‘destined to burn’ swaggers in on a brutally chugging riff with James heartfelt vocals very much to the fore. ‘Say you’re still mine’ is, as the title suggests, the album’s unprotected heart – a soulful ballad that plays to James’ strengths with the band playing a restrained hand until the second chorus when the heavy guitars reappear, once again highlighting the fact that this is very much an album with a heart and soul despite all of the furious guitar pyrotechnics going off. ‘Amnesia’ is a heavier number with rich synth work and a deathly undercurrent thanks to Peter’s brutal vocals, although the band still can’t resist a sky-scraping chorus. The album ends (all too soon) with ‘I will not break’, the heaviest track on the record by some way, as if the band were simply pacing themselves for an almighty sprint finish. It works well, leaving you wanting more and before you know it you’ll be spinning the disc and putting the needle to the wax all over again… it’s just that sort of record.
James LaBrie has long been recognised as a most talented vocalist, but here he simply shines fronting his own band and belting out progressive-tinged Euro-metal with an infectious abandon that is impossible to ignore. Pressed up on superb quality vinyl, with cool, scratchy artwork and even a CD thrown in, the mighty InsideOut have done a fine job of presenting this album in the manner which it deserves. For fans of Dream Theater, In Flames and Soilwork, Impermanent Resonance comes highly recommended.
NB. WIth thatnks to Matt LaBrie for “protecting our backsides on the unforgiving throes of the interwebs” by pointing out it was Peter Wildoer who was responsible for the screams and not Matt. Our bad!
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