Review Summary: Dark, ominous, intense, emotive. What more could you ask for?
What does it mean to be progressive? Is it simply the act of innovation? Is it revolutionizing the way things are done? Whatever your definition, 3 is a band who are a fair representation of the “progressive rock” genre. Taking influence from a variety of musical styles including; Flamenco, Funk, Alternative rock, Pop and even Metal, the band demonstrates a vast level of skill.
Wake Pig is the darkest of the band’s albums to date. Steering away from the more cheery styling’s of their earlier works and being slightly less accessible then the follow up “The End is Begun” the album is brimming with a dark atmosphere reminiscent of a Science-Fiction film score. The album contains an incredible amount of technical skill. Joey Eppard (Brother of former Coheed & Cambria drummer Josh Eppard) is notable for his impressive finger-picked guitar style, playing at lightning fast speeds whilst keeping the performance melodic and avoiding the instrumental wankery often associated with progressive artists.
Guitarist Billy Riker balances Eppard’s work with melodic leads that add a certain level of intensity to the performance. The band’s rhythm section also put in their fair share of good work. Keyboardist Joe Stote maintains the previously mentioned atmosphere throughout the album, whilst bassist Daniel Grimsland provides a powerful and interesting performance that balances out the guitar work. Drummer/Percussionist Chris Gartmann is another highly skilled performer. Providing numerous fills that keep the songs together. Not to mention his exceptional drum solo during the hidden track located after the final song.
As a unit the band write very well structured songs. The album does provide a rather impressive range of songs. “Dogs of War” is a soothing acoustic ballad featuring a very mellow Eppard providing an exceptional vocal performance. Album opener “Alien Angel” is the perfect rock song, complete with a catchy-chorus and possibly the heaviest riffs on the album. “Bramfatura” is simply a demonstration of Eppard’s musical prowess but it leads into the album’s strongest track “Trust” seamlessly.
One of the most interesting aspects of the band is Joey Eppard’s angelic voice. Similar to many vocalists in the progressive genre he favors vocals of a higher register although he’s definitely more grounded then some of his contemporaries (Claudio Sanchez, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Darroh Sudderth etc.) never reaching that ear piercingly high pitch. He also demonstrates proficient use of his mid-range technique being mildly quiet, yet impassioned.
As far as lyrics are concerned the band performs well. At times the lyrics seem anecdotal much like the story-teller lyrics of bands such as Pink Floyd. The lyrics are also ripe with metaphors but not to the point where they become meaningless. Despite the anecdotal nature of the lyrics the album steers clear of any universal concept to tie each story together.
So what are the downsides to the album? Well it’s prog and that alone can be too much for some people. The songs aren’t particularly abrasive but, the album undoubtedly requires multiple listens to really reach the listener. Eppard’s voice may annoy some people and the lyrics may be a bit off putting to those who dislike the particular style. The biggest issue I’ve found is the lack of variance in sound. Whilst the band writes technical music as well as simplistic music and changes from hard-rock anthems, acoustic ballads and mellowed-out jams there is still an overall sound that remains the same in each song.
Aside from these minor setbacks the album is quite impressive and is well worth the listen. As far as recommendations I’d actually suggest picking up the End is Begun first mainly because of the accessibility of the band on that album. But, for those who already have or those who don’t care about my suggestion, this album is a must have for fans of progressive rock.
