Fermata – S/T EP (CD)

The opening track on Fermata’s self-titled EP starts off ominously before moving into a blend of Deftones and Static-X. The vocals, laid down by Blake, do not seem to be a natural fit for the music present. However, the effort exerted by Blake opn tracks like “Frustrated” is admirable, and it is through this effort that allows Fermata to succeed on the early stains of this disc. The vocals come off more as those possessed by “Scars”-era Papa Roach, which the instrumentation present is something that is directly from the current era.

While there is not a direct tie between the music that Jay-O, Steve-O, Sean, and Jason commit to disc, it is of the same type of hard rock that is all the rage on radio stations. The breakdown during “Frustrated” allow listeners to take a breather, and allow Fermata to get things set up to allow their guitars to take off in much the same ways as the average Queens of the Stone Age or Foo Fighters song. The band may get a few listeners during “Frustrated”, but it is really during “Stick Figures” that Fermata spread their wings and find a single. “Stick Figures” is a track that is dominated by the vocals more than anything else.

The thing that the instruments do during the track is provide a perfect canvas for Blake to throw eir paint; when the band can show their chops, it is when Blake pulls back for a second. The crunchy, deliberative instrumentation that ends “Stick Figures” is a direct descendent of the style employed by Korn at the beginning of their career, but Fermata recontextualize that sound to create something that is completely different from the original. The Korn sound comes much more prevalent during “Lickalotta”, even if Blake’s vocals belie the coherent sound of the rest of the band. What this means is that Fermata is setting off to create their own style; this is a blending of styles that individuals just have not heard up until they get a chance to listen to this self-titled EP. There is some talent that courses through the veins of Fermata on this disc, and the band needs a full length album to properly showcase their abilities. Here’s to hoping they can come up with an album that maintains the same intensity and hard sound that this EP has. For any fan of hard rock.

Top Track: Lickalotta

Rating: 6.2/10

Fermata – S/T EP / 2006 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.fermatasound.com / http://www.justrockpr.com / Reviewed 04 May 2006

[JMcQ]