Although heavy metal has long embraced ornate riffing, technically inclined mathcore acts like The Dillinger Escape Plan have made complexity even more popular in "heavy" forms of rock. That's good news for scrap-metal statue created by Dr. Evermore. While his raspy vocals are fairly standard half-shouted, veins-in-the-teeth stuff, his sense of rhythm makes every verse punchy, persuasive and precise. In fact, by the middle of the song -- when the vocals are electronically processed in to a creepy chorus -- all those sonic blows make the listener a little punchy as well.
This of course is no crime, since half the point of metal is to hammer away at your cares and inhibitions until rocking out is the one and only thing that has ever mattered in all of space and time. The tune's twisted, tongue-in-cheek lyrics about photon-powered spaceships and a journey to the sun that's destined to turn out badly form the brain-busting coup de grace.
Madison metal, you've found an anthem that will live in eternity. Or at least until we're all extinguished by some pesky black hole sun.
An MP3 of the track are available in the related downloads at right. More music by the group can be found at its MySpace page. Freighter hosted their CD release party for their new album at the High Noon Saloon last week; they are returning to stage on Monday, February 25 when they open up for Dub Trio at the same east side venue.
MadTracks highlights and provides MP3s of songs performed by local musicians. All tracks here are provided with permission of the artist. If you are a musician based in the Madison metro area and are interested in sharing your work as a MadTrack, please send a message.