Posted on: June 5, 2015 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Audiobender’s Reverb begins with Alright With Me. This introductory track showcases Audiobender as an act that is tremendously influenced by the rock of the seventies and eighties. This means that listeners can pull out hints of Rush, Bad Company, and Whitesnake with this opening salvo. Where many bands are more than happy to exist in a certain time period over the courses of their careers, the tracks that Audiobender include on Reverb take listeners through a journey with a number of distinct influences, styles, and approaches taken.

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Complex arrangements ensure that fans will have to play Reverb a number of times before they understand every call-back, reference, and goal of the band; Reverb is the musical equivalent to James Joyce’s Ulysses. On and On is a bright track that takes equal parts ELO and ska guitar to create something that is a little reggae, a good amount of rock, and represents Audiobender’s first single. The deliberate guitar lines provide order while the punchy drum work and vocals add enough spontaneity to keep things fresh from the beginning to the end. MFH (here come that girl) is a fuzzy and intense rock track that is built off of the work of Jimi Hendrix and Alice in Chains. The taut guitar work is reminiscent of Weezer, while the drum fills are a hidden treat. The wall of sound that Audiobender utilizes during this cut represent a tactic that further increases replay value. There are just so many things happening during this composition that listeners will be urged to sit in a comfortable chair and strap on a pair of headphones to hear the tens of things that are occurring in every fifteen-second segment.

One in the Hand marks a turn towards a slower style for Audiobender. The track succeeds because the act is able to smartly use quiet and loud elements; the gradual increase in the momentum during this track will have listeners on the edges of their seats. It is the vocals that will take listeners on this journey, but the guitars and drums are essential here in creating a rich tapestry on which the lyrics can rest. A sizzling guitar line in the vein of a Joe Perry represent a stellar winding down for the composition.

I Won’t Write This Song takes a page from mid-nineties rock and improves upon it through complex time signatures and a careful ear for how the different members of the band are interacting . The track is able to be appreciated by the average music-listening public because of the tremendous vocal power and fun dynamic between the guitars, drums, and bass. There is a tremendous story to be told with I Won’t Write This Song, one that is immediately understood by anyone that has been through a relationship. Know What I Mean has Audiobender move back to an earlier rock tradition; bits and bobs of Brownsville Station, Queen, and Thin Lizzy can all be picked out from this composition. The band is able to make this style sound fresher by imbuing the seventies rock paradigm with a free-form / jam style taken. It is this freeness of the composition that separates what Audiobender is able to do from what is currently being released. The act establishes such an unparalleled sound to Reverb that anyone that fancies themselves a fan of rock music should search out their own copy of the album.

Let It Bleed breaks the tradition of bands putting their weakest efforts towards the ends of their album. This track is one of the highest energy efforts that we have heard from the band; Audiobender is able to achieve the aural intensity of Chris Cornell with the raw complexity of a Tool or Dream Theater. The track hits hard and will burrow itself deeply into the psyche of listeners. Rather than going softly into that good night, Audiobender are able to put an emphatic end to Reverb in a fashion that few bands can dream. With guitar work reminiscent of The Cult and Queens of the Stone Age, this track absolutely crackles with energy.

Dry will be released later this summer, while a live recording (LIVE at the Whisky) will showcase Audiobender is a wholly different context towards the end of the spring. For samples of Audiobender’s music, check out their ReverbNation or domain.

Top Tracks: One in the Hand, I Won’t Write This Song, Know What I Mean,  On and On

Rating: 8.6/10

Audiobender Reverb CD Review / http://www.audiobenderband.com/ / https://www.reverbnation.com/audiobenderband / https://www.facebook.com/audiobenderband

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