Ghost in the Machine - Supernatural

Ghost in the Machine - Supernatural (song review) |self-released, single, 2019| 5/5

Listeners can recognize GITM as a guitar driven industrial rock band known for their Broken From Binary album (2015). They're a duo based in Florida of Face (bass, programming, vocals) and C4 (vocals, guitar, programming).

There's a proverb which often proves right - 'if you want different results, you have to try different approaches'. This time, GITM comes with a slow-tempo chillout single. It starts with a female vocal (by Caela, she also appears as a background singer in the chorus), soon replaced by C4's masculine voice. As the song progresses, C4 often begins a verse and Caela finishes it with her higher tones, creating an interesting contrast through the combination. This vocal interplay is very entertaining, because the two literally play with each other, by starting and completing verses. When the chorus starts, C4 proves that he can pull off higher notes as well.
'Supernatural' flows peacefully from beginning to end. It's full of clicking, buzzing, drumming, and otherwise percussive sounds leaving no empty spots; despite that, it's not dynamic. The vocals don't interfere with the instruments, but are skillfully laid on a layer above. A focused ear will also catch guitar chords.

Lyrically, there's an openly sensual meaning to the song not only focusing on a woman's goddess-like body - her fingers, dark curly hair, eyes, and lips but also a metaphysical connection a man feels with her soul since she's 'mystical, magical, supernatural (...) the force that science cannot understand'. He's 'bewitched' by her beauty 'so dynamic, so exotic' that he awaits to 'seal the deal and make it for real' during a proposal.

The songs needs a few plays to be remembered entirely, because its arrangements are melodious and repetitive (but not too notoriously). This is great news for the listener's brain, as it gets quickly bored with frequently recurring patterns. The chorus, once memorized, becomes solidly wedged in the mind which shows that 'Supernatural' has the potential to become a radio or heavy rotation playlist hit. It could also illustrate a significant movie scene, not limited to romance as the usefulness of the melody stretches beyond that genre.

(Reviewer: Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Industrial Rock & Metal Encyclopedia, January 16th, 2020. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)
Source: http://fabryka.darknation.eu/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=568






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Reviewed by Fabryka Industrial Rock & Metal Encyclopedia

Merrin - Mr. Dominant

Merrin – Mr. Dominant (song review) |self-released, 2016| 5/5 rock, pop, funk

Merrin are a band from Wellington, New Zealand. Judging by their newest single's vibe, the quartet is aiming to gain attention worldwide, presenting a potential hit - something the music industry is always on the lookout for.
The song's low, energizing groove and excellent vocals should agitate listeners already from the very beginning. The arrangements placed swiftly within a solid body holding the entire composition, clearly shared between verses and choruses, make for a really catchy and powerful song. Any chart topper needs to have some repetitions to remain memorable, but in this case there’s not a single second of boredom here.

'Mr. Dominant' begins with vocals that are followed by drums (Richard Maxwell Jr), guitar (Karl Wootton) and bass (Lisa Tagaloa). The rhythm is bouncy making the track instantly memorable, yet it ends on a perfect, popular note with all instruments bringing the rhythm to a gentle stop. Melodically, 'Mr. Dominant' fuses rock, pop, funk and metal vibes thanks to edgy guitar riffs, the overall structure, and the catchy groove. Riffs and drums are less dense, unlike when utilized in purely metal tracks, so the song may find its way to various listeners, not bound to any specific genre. Every instrument, including the voice, has accurate placement, and everything is timed flawlessly. Even if the song may sound spontaneous at first, there's quite a lot of math hiding underneath.

The timbre of the vocals is very interesting, since they sound quite 'androgynous' - the voice could belong to either a woman or a young man, and it’s hard to say before you have a look at the band’s line-up. It's rebellious, confident, and distinctive - it can tap into higher notes easily but it mostly keeps a lower, almost masculine tone somewhere in the middle. Its range intrigues as well. To satisfy your curiosity, the person behind the voice - Charlie Phillips - is female. Being gifted with a voice like this, she should expect many opportunities in the music industry (and beyond, e.g. voice acting in movies or games) sooner or later. It seems that singing comes effortlessly to her - on top of that, her voice is easily recognizable.

Lyrically, 'Mr. Dominant' refers to the act of seduction of an alpha-male man, so called 'the old electric masculine' driven by own ego and thus, always wanting to be in control. How could a female be in control of such a guy, then? Using her sexiest attributes, according to the song writer.

Overall, the song is great for any kind of media placement, and will surely stir the physical energy of listeners, whether it is aired on worldwide radio or included on a personal playlist. The song's recognizable fragments may be a good match for a TV advertisement as well. Guano Apes, Nico, Living Colour, Deftones, and Rage Against the Machine - you could probably name these if you really need a sonic reference, but make sure to check out other songs by Merrin, streamed on their social profiles.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, May 12th, 2016. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

Source: http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=579

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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine

Barefaced Liar - Mind Over Matter

Barefaced Liar - Mind Over Matter (song review) |self-released, Mind Over Matter, 2015| 5/5 pop/rock

The human brain when bombed with negative news and images every day becomes either over-sensitive or indifferent. The topic of 'Mind Over Matter' refers to the fear of unknown. This emotion often freezes the heart but kicks the brain into survival mode. The track encourages to face unidentified issues to discover their true colors and then make one's individual judgment instead of acting pre-maturely based on other people's superstitions. Music has been used as a successful method of therapy since the ancient Greek times and Barefaced Liar's 'Mind Over Matter' is a continuation of this tradition, thanks to its super positive melody and irresistible rhythm, aside of prompting lyrics.

The song begins with a neat and high tuned guitar, with a full blown rhythm section adding a groovy vibe to the opening arrangement soon afterwards. The majority of these arrangements is based on uplifting sounds brought by vocals and guitars. The lively sounds of bass, rhythm guitar, and drums bring forth a darker, heavier tune into the song's background, making for a neat contrast with the opening leitmotif. The composition is open yet controlled by arrangements, even though the sound spreads really wide when the chorus comes up. Akshay's voice is soothing and pleasant for the ear, but kept in a rock vibe. Vocals intersect with instrumental parts perfectly – they are fitted within the composition tightly to engage your attention until the very end. In addition, some arrangements are kept out of the stream to prioritize vocals at times, proving professional song-writing.

The Barefaced Liar duo undoubtedly have taken their lessons in pop music structures. Firstly, vocals finish in all the right spots, and there’s a fade-out effect used at the end of the track. Secondly, the opening and closing arrangements are the same which perfectly binds both ends of the track for looped replaying. Thirdly, choruses are full of prolonged 'oh-oh' which is an evergreen method for creating a non-intrusive mood and makes for memorable track as well. It'd be difficult to find anybody who could resist reacting spontaneously to such melody and performance when combined.
All of the above prove that 'Mind Over Matter' has a lot of well-knit hit potential for listeners of all ages, and doesn't sound boring after giving it a few more spins. Moreover, this all-embracing track should be a good match for all kinds of media opportunities ranging from ads to series.

The song was composed and performed by two friends since high school - Akshay Chowdhry and Sumant 'Bala' Balakrishnan - from Delhi, India who decided to try their musical skills in making modern rock music. They have released 3 albums since 2008 and their newest, Mind Over Matter, was mastered by Jens Bogren (Fascination Street, Sweden). He is a notable name in the industry, with credits on albums by Devin Townsend, Opeth, Marty Friedman, and many others.
Barefaced Liar sound like a good duo to Like on Facebook and their song will be the perfect addition to your mobile phone’s playlist, assuming you enjoy intelligent pop-rock tunes.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, January 29th, 2016. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

Source: http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=572

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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine