Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews
James Labrie - Elements of Persuasion
Rock vocalist Labrie and plenty of 'lectric guitar
Published on June 02, 2005
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James Labrie – Elements of Persuasion; Inside Out Music IOMCD 204 CD **1/2:
Labrie is the vocalist from the band Dream Theater and has released two previous solo efforts under the name MullMuzzer. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, because I didn’t realize the history of the man, but what started off as a nice acoustic guitar solo soon transitioned into a hard rock/heavy metal record ala Metallica or Korn. In fact, the sound reminds me a little of Queensryche, but a bit less glam. Most every song uses heavy-handed electric guitar and the music would be a perfect backdrop to a Vin Diesel action flick. It isn’t all just hard, grinding guitars, and track three has some interesting electronic sounds that permeate the background. Track five, seven, and nine are the softer tunes. The first is a power pop tune, seven is a cry for help lyrically and has a prominent piano element to the song, while nine is most likely the hit song from this record—it will be the most palatable for most listeners. The topics of discussion range from relationships to religion, but the album suffers, because the material doesn’t seem to be consistent musically. Metal heads might like it enough despite the slower material, but I can’t see anyone sitting through the hard rock for one or two good slow tracks, and it is these tracks that stand out from the rest of the material. Sound quality is okay, but unless you are huge fan you may want to think twice. Songs included are: Crucify; Alone; Freak; Invisible; Lost; Undecided; Smashed; Pretender; Slightly Out of Reach; Oblivious; In Too Deep; Drained
-Brian Bloom
Labrie is the vocalist from the band Dream Theater and has released two previous solo efforts under the name MullMuzzer. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, because I didn’t realize the history of the man, but what started off as a nice acoustic guitar solo soon transitioned into a hard rock/heavy metal record ala Metallica or Korn. In fact, the sound reminds me a little of Queensryche, but a bit less glam. Most every song uses heavy-handed electric guitar and the music would be a perfect backdrop to a Vin Diesel action flick. It isn’t all just hard, grinding guitars, and track three has some interesting electronic sounds that permeate the background. Track five, seven, and nine are the softer tunes. The first is a power pop tune, seven is a cry for help lyrically and has a prominent piano element to the song, while nine is most likely the hit song from this record—it will be the most palatable for most listeners. The topics of discussion range from relationships to religion, but the album suffers, because the material doesn’t seem to be consistent musically. Metal heads might like it enough despite the slower material, but I can’t see anyone sitting through the hard rock for one or two good slow tracks, and it is these tracks that stand out from the rest of the material. Sound quality is okay, but unless you are huge fan you may want to think twice. Songs included are: Crucify; Alone; Freak; Invisible; Lost; Undecided; Smashed; Pretender; Slightly Out of Reach; Oblivious; In Too Deep; Drained
-Brian Bloom
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