'...time is the real currency of life,' a friend once told me. I take that to heart when it comes to music. I have a short attention span so if a band doesn't grab me within about 30 seconds - I'm done. Sorry. It's just the way I am. I know what I like.
I'll give Sistered a break. It took them 40 seconds to grab my attention with their debut album New Sky. After that they held on tight and didn't let go. Then they left me aching for more.
When Racer sent me the link to this Pittsburgh, PA rock/metal band i admitted to him that i already liked the name. Sistered. It just sounds cool. I wanna get Sistered, I thought, but had no idea what it meant. Now i know. On New Sky, Sistered - Jesse Meredith (vox/gtr), John Dzziuban (gtr/vox), Cary Belback (bass) and Josh Egan (drums) - combine almost everything i love about 80's, 90's and current heavy rock/metal music into what i consider a smorgasbord of sonic delights.
The first song on New Sky is "Shut Your Eyes". So i did. They popped right back open. What the..., I muttered to myself. Uh-oh. Where are they going with this? The guitars are too weak for me. Where's the crunch?! That's about the time the damage started and I got riff-slapped upside the head for having any doubts. Aha. A little trickery perhaps? Some tomfoolery? I like it. I think they're going one way and they totally change tones and directions. They do that throughout New Sky and it's one of the reasons I love the album so much. I never know what's coming next.
For me, nothing beats variety and I believe New Sky oozes with it. "God Save the Child Bride" has an up-tempo, punk-ish thing goin' on. "Layer of the Empire", starts like beautiful lullaby. Then the whole nursery gets demolished by a 10-ton riff wrecking ball. My dog looked at me funny during this one I was head-bangin' so hard. I mighta hurt my neck a liittle, too.
"Story of the Witch" has a great southern-fried-metal feel to it and features some great guitar work. The title track, "New Sky", is just over 8 minutes long. It starts a little slow for me but give it a few - it's another riff monster. I think Sistered left one my favorites, "Blood Red Fog", as the last track for a reason - it left me wanting more. A heavy blues-rock epic, it shows the guitarist/vocalist can actually sing pretty well too if he wants. At almost 9 minutes it's also the longest on New Sky.
Have I said I love New Sky yet? There are a few parts i think Sistered could have done without (like the first 30 seconds), and the instrumental, "Talkin Shit from Outer Space" got a little cheesy for me in the middle, but i shouldn't nitpick. This is a debut album and the band will only get better. I think each song has it's own sound and it's own vibe. Once i came close to skipping through one - "Midnight Renegade" - but it was very short (1:30) and had another ripping guitar solo, so i didn't.
2011 has been a great year for my musical library so far. I've found a lot of great hard rock/metal bands and listened to tons of new heavy stuff. I'd put New Sky right up there with most anything else I've heard. I think Sistered are very talented musicians and excellent songwriters with unlimited potential. They offer on their debut what many bands can't ever give: something truly unique. To me, New Sky was a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. It's a trip I take often and I'm gonna be back soon. You should visit too.
Sistered has a Bandcamp page where you can listen to New Sky before you buy it http://sistered.bandcamp.com/ ; You can download the 8-track digital album in various formats for $6.
You can also hear some songs (not my favorite) on their Facebook page http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Sistered/116962328375690 . Go ahead and like their page. Like them as a band. I do.
http://www.sistered.net/
Heddbuzz
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