| The
Review |
As a devout fan of Dream Theater,
and anything related, I eagerly awaited the third solo disc
from DT frontman James LaBrie. His first two efforts with
Mullmuzzler were solid - not album of the year material in
my opinion, but had some fantastic songs featuring great melodies
and thoughtful lyrics. I was a bit taken aback, however, when
I discovered that for this album, James had chosen not to
use the Mullmuzzler name. I feared that the band would take
a different direction, and that the music I had grown fond
of would evolve into something I didn't much care for.*****
As it turns out, I wasn't entirely
wrong, but I wasn't entirely right, either. This album is
the most agressive of all three solo discs, but at the same
time, it's very much familiar territory. Coming hot off of
Dream Theater's "Train of Thought" album and subsequent tour,
the raw heaviness found in that album shines throughout parts
of "Elements of Persuasion." Of course, having a young, angsty
Italian shredder in the form of Marco Sfogli certainly helps.*****
The album starts out with "Crucify,"
and an acoustic riff very reminiscent of DT's "A Change of
Seasons." This likeness quickly fades, and the guitars come
in at a blinding speed. Musically, I hear similiarities to
metal bands such as In Flames, and Killswitch Engage. James
sticks to what he does best, however, and sings a solid melody
over much of the song, particularly during the chorus. The
guitar solo is nothing short of amazing, as Sfogli shows off
some serious speed technique, and an excellent sense of melody.*****
Fortunately, the rest of the album
is not all like this. The second track, "Alone," seems like
it would be more at home on a previous Mullmuzzler CD. The
guitar solo, main riffs, and production on this song are quite
different from the first track. At this point, I begin realize
that this disc feels more like two separate albums in one,
rather than a concentrated solo effort.*****
Songs like "Freak," "Undecided,"
"Pretender," "Oblivious," and "In Too Deep" provide a much
heavier affair than the rest of the album, whereas the rest
of the tracks seem more at home on earlier Mullmuzzler discs.
These songs tend to be more ballad-like, and James' vocals
are at their best during these songs. Melodically, "Lost"
is one of my favorites on the entire album. The chorus is
simple, but catchy, and LaBrie's voice sounds almost angelic.
Similiarly, "Smashed" is an absolutely beautiful song. The
piano and guitar play off of each other wonderfully here.*****
But again, I find myself listening
to this disc and wondering if some songs came from a completely
different writing session. Lyrically, there is a theme present
throughout - relationships, understanding, and to a lesser
degree, ignorance and intolerance with religion - but musically,
we have two very different types of songs here. I find myself
torn as to which I prefer - the evolution of LaBrie's style,
or the familiar territory that I've grown to love.*****
Ultimately, progressive music is
about progressing, and not staying in a comfortable niche.
LaBrie and company do manage to break out of this niche effectively,
but I would've prefered more of one style, or the other. Fans
of LaBrie's previous work owe it to themselves to pick up
this disc, and will be pleased with this disc, as would collectors
of all things Dream Theater. However, I believe that casual
fans will be confused with the two different styles. That
is not to say that this isn't a good album, but I believe
that a little more focus would have carried this disc from
"good" to "excellent." *****
GRADE: B-
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