'The Life Forsaken EP'
(Self-released CD)
MARK: 81/100
This EP contains only 3 songs, but believe me, enough to reveal how many great potentialities the 5-piece has!
Not only is their music amazing, but also the conceptual point of view related to their monicker needs to be mentioned: they quote Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Russian dissident writer who didn't have an easy life and wasn't murdered like a good number of others in his country just because he was too popular: "While an ordinary man is obliged not to participate in lies, artists have greater responsibilities: It is within the power of writers and artists to do much more: to defeat the lie! For in the struggle with lies, art has always triumphed and shall always triumph! Lies can prevail against much in this world, but never against art."
The US quintet also quotes a Russian proverb: "One word of truth shall outweigh the whole world."
Which is derived by a Bible passage cited by David Icke in one of his books and Joel Schumacher in "The Client": "And the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32)
Now allow me to put my one-eyed snake back into my pants and let me deepen my analysis.
"Remember Your Name" displays the several nuances vocalist Jason Livingston can accomplish; from hypnotic and melancholic to brutal and to even adrenalinic yet still clean. The references are Mudvayne, A Perfect Circle and Tool and they remain in the title track, but damn it, are they touching my soul! The vocal lines are perfect as well as the drum accents. I won't forget to inform you the recording is modern, powerful, distinct and top-notch, and this is decidedly a plus so as to stress out every detail.
The closer "Casting Stones" adds Pantera vocals to the recipe and a few Metalcore passages, but once again it is the clean vocal lines standing out, as well as the cynic yet responsabilizing lyrics they are grounded on.
Crushing and groovy, Defeat The Lie simply needed 3 songs to explain and confirm their origins and persuade us they are a big bet to the future. Will they make it? Will they be allowed to expose more songs in a label-released record or will they be frustrated to the point of disbanding? I know what would be right but I also know man and destiny often have divergent plans. I'll keep spreading the verb about this deserving mini-CD, although I can fancy some of you're swiftly raising an objection: "Wait! From what you stated they aren't so original, why should I need them? How can they be great if they don't possess a style of their own?"
Answer: "The notes are 7, and even tho the EP blend is many-colored, there may be a hint of something you've already heard someplace else. Look at the global outcome and at the same time realize not all musicians wish or able to create something completely different, with an avant-gardist approach immediately.
The Colorado combo is not copying anyone nevetheless is composing excellent songs using unvirgin paths. Give it time and it will be capable of composing new material that will not remind you of anybody whatsoever; the turning point will be when the 2 guitar players will find their best match and one will not be hidden by the other; which means when the second guitarist will have more personality in order not to be so distant in the background just to parrot the first with diverse tunes. In the meantime, enjoy these tracks and keep in mind that when they glue to your mind so most indelebly, then it means you have a pretty worthy group of songs in your hands."
Line-up on this record:
Jeremy Zampert - guitar
Mike Rice - drums
Igor Panasewicz- bass guitar
Jason Livingston - vocals
Jason Boudreau - guitar
Contacts:
8694 W. 67th Pl., Arvada, CO 80004 - USA
E-mail: mikericedrummer@msn.com
Official sites:
http://www.myspace.com/defeatthelie
http://www.myspace.com/mikericedrummer
http://www.mikericedrummer.com/
Demo-/Disco-graphy:
-The Life Forsaken (EP - 2009)
