READING ZERO |
| Reading Zero are : Russ Pellerin : Drums Chris Pellerin : Electric and Lead Guitars Chris Roy : Bass, Vocals, Synth Joel Decatur : Electric and Acoustic Guitars The tracks are : 1. The Actual 2. Amongst The Clouds 3. Different Climb 4. Dimensions 5. Strategy 6. Midsummer Datdream (Part 1) 7. The Charade 8. Mirage 9. True To Form 10. And Never To Return 11. Amongst The Clouds (Radio Edit) (Hidden Track) Words have never been sufficient enough to describe the art of music and the effect it has on the soul. Sculpting music that is both intriguing and pleasing is a complicated task that READING ZERO takes very seriously. Skillfully crafting a new modernized sound with a disciplined approach. A strong sense of melody, thought provoking lyrics, a modern hard edged sound, and complex arrangements trademark a sound that is immediately recognizable. Their previous efforts, under the name Visionary, gained notoriety through radio and positive press reviews in both The United States and Europe. The drummer, Russ Pellerin, and lead guitarist, Chris Pellerin, are brothers and have been in every band together since they started playing their instruments. The bassist, keyboardist, and singer, Chris Roy formed Visionary with the Pellerin brothers in the latter of 1990. The second guitarist, Joel Decatur, was a close friend of the band for years. He was asked to join the band in 1994, and immediately seemed to become the final component in fulfilling the direction the band was going in. The band proceeded to send demo tapes to some of the larger interested labels in Europe. The new tape featured "The Actual", "Dimensions", and "Mirage", and within 2 months of sending out the tape, 3 labels had made offers. The negotiations went on and soon the band and a German record label reached an agreement. The band asked to be let out of their contract when the label was unable to make studio payments on the agreed dates. The band decided to use the funds from demo sales to pay for the project themselves and then to shop for licensing deals through individual labels in each country. The frequent New England live performances showcased an intensity that very few bands possess, resulting in an impressive and rapid-growing mailing list. After extensively touring the surrounding local cities they found themselves venturing into music that was far more animated, dynamic and focused. This approach has resulted in the debut album "The Actual". Self-produced with the engineering help of Jim Lightman at Metropolis Recording Studio. By listening to the production it hard to believe it was recorded, mixed, and mastered in under 3 weeks, which also shows the discipline, professionalism, and proactive insight that READING ZERO enters each project with. READING ZERO will continue to hone their songwriting skills, as their maturing talents retain the qualities that make their music highly regarded to their listeners. The opening track is 'The Actual', which is also the title track and starts off with some atmospheric sounds before the whole band comes in. The music is more to the heavier side of progressive metal, but it is very polished and you would not believe that this is Reading Zero's debut album.The rhythm unit is tight and the vocals are superb. There are many changes in direction, mood and tempo within this opening track and the two guitarists work together extremely well bringing a lot of atmosphere to this excellent track. The next track is 'Amongst The Clouds', this is anothe rexcellent track with some nice atmospheric intricate guitar work to open the track. The sounds then build up until the vocals come in. And once again the vocals are just superb from Chris Roy. By the way, some parts of this track remind me a little of Queensryche and once agin the guitar work from both Chris Pellerin and Joel Decatur is simply breathtaking. The third track 'Different Climb' has a fairly heavy start to it, which at times has a kind of stop/start riff. There's a nice catchy chorus and this is followed by some nice intricate guitar work followed by a short, but excellent guitar solo. Then it's back to more heavy guitar riffs. The next track 'Dimensions' starts off quite mellow with some atmospheric sounds and intricate guitar. Then a heavier lead guitar comes in, this mellows out slightly later, when the vocals come in. 'Strategy', this is another excellent track with some superb guitar work from Chris and Joel. The vocals gve it that bit extra has they carry a lot of emotion in the way that they are delivered. There's also a nice catchy chorus. The sixth track 'Midsummer Daydream (Part 1)' starts off with some fine intricate guitar work giving the sound quite a atmospheric feeling, this then gradually builds up with the other guitar playing some powerful riffs. The music then flows into... The next track 'The Charade', which starts off with some stunning guitar work. The vocals are powerful and emotional. Once again there are many changes in direction, mood and tempo and later on into the track there's some more wonderful guitar work. 'Mirage' combines one guitar playing intricate stuff, while the other plays some heavy riffs. The voclas on this track sound slightly higher pitched, but still work wonderfully well. The ninth track 'True To Form', starts off with some atmospheric sounds, before the band comes in, this track is slightly more mellow than some of the previous tracks, but later on into the track there is some heavier guitar parts. The next track 'And Never To Return' is another track that starts off with some atmospheric sounds, with some superb soaring guitar, once the vocals come in the music then changes direction. The guitar work is mainly intricate with an occassional heavier guitar riff coming in for the chorus. There is also a hidden track, which is another version of 'Amongst The Clouds', it's a much shorter version and I would take it as being an edited version suitable for the radio. To be honest, when I first received this CD and took a look at the cover, I knew that this was going to be a top quality album and it is. Reading Zero have come up with a killer album that is quite unique and original. With it's warm melodies and catchy hooks, this is an album you are going to playing over and over again. Even though, the music is highly complex, Reading Zero still maintain a melodic an atmospheric aura about them and combining this with thought provoking lyrics, this is not a band you can take lightly. One thing I can't work out is why no record label has picked them up yet. Come on, what you waiting for. Highly Recommended!!! Website : http://www.readingzero.com |