TWITTER: https://twitter.com/heavyamerica
Written
by Ed Price, posted by blog admin
Roaring their
way onto over twenty college radio stations including my local Pittsburgh one
WPTS, Heavy America are boldly taking the international scene by storm. With a focused rock sound devoid of trendy
elements such as overdone programming, rap/rock hybridization, synth-pop and
8-bit Nintendo sounds, this threesome places a rough n’ tumble guitar, organic
bass/drums and a strong vocalist front n’ center at the heart of their
sound. Sprinkles of keyboards are there
for atmosphere but this is a rock band the way it should be; organic, untouched
by overproduction and roaring in their dynamic juxtapositions.
Forward
thinking songwriting is all about the meat and potatoes. Though certain pieces like the mid-album
gargantuan “Casting Stones” roll the tape for a mammoth five minutes and
change, the complexity is in the composition, not over-the-top soloist efforts
that outshine some of the musicians’ unified playing. And unified they are, apparent right out of
the bullpen in “Proud Shame’s” country-kissed, rock n’ blues gumbo. This is down home vittles with a pocket
rhythm section holding down the 4/4 yet veering slightly into other signatures
thanks to spacious, Wovenhand-esque country guitar breaks going supernova into
hard rock raucousness in the chorus.
Vocalist/guitarist Mike Seguin has the right voice for this type of
stuff, capable of lower hums and a higher wail with his band mates coloring in
the gray areas around him. “Bleed Mary”
is cut from similar cloth in the same mill as open, ringing notes sustain
graceful melody until the moment when big riffs are necessary to hammer home
the railroad spikes.
Sometimes the
treacherous dynamics from softness to sizzling are abandoned for songs with a
singular mindset. “Pray for Me” has been
available for purchase as a single on CdBaby and several digital outlets for
some time and it’s a showcase for booming hard-rock where the riff is king and
the slashing cymbal strikes and tautly tuned snares of Dan Fried deliver maximum
mayhem. The same can be said of
“Goliath” and “Achilles Fail,” both of which are completely unwound rockers
meant to ignite the dance floor with pumping fists and swinging hippie
hair. “Sweet Kisses” takes raging blues
rock n’ roll and slows it down a half-step for another jam that could easily
hit radio stations and stage a hostile takeover. Digging deeper into the record you get weird,
Doors influenced psychedelic rock filtered through Seattle grunge on the sultry
undulation of “I Can Take It” and “Heavy Eyes,” although the latter presents a
more anthem-ready, ballad quality.
The songwriting
is almost fully fleshed which is rare for new bands and despite “Sweet Kisses”
and “Heavy Eyes” perhaps lacking stronger choruses, the rest of the material is
elaborately put together. …Now perhaps stands for Heavy America’s
time, because their music is certainly needed in the right here and now.
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