So I'm hooked on this one album this week--Mt.Heluim's Faces. I haven't fully figured out how to describe it--I guess progressive rock/metal comes the closest--but this shit is so full of hooks and riffs that I can't shake out of brain (and have no desire to).
I've just loved listening to this record on the train or walking around--it's so full and fierce and vibrant. Every song seems to have a chorus that radiates with an electric sound that's new and original.
The band's members are the same guys that were the Apex Theory--a spacey, proggy, metal group that I enjoyed as well. But the remaining members in Mt. Helium have dug deeper with this project--extracting out the special effects for solid and reliable tension-filled rock music. I was so waiting to stumble across something like that! *Sigh of relief*
Faces goes deep, with majestic, epic moments--plus, they're a trio, so kudos for pulling that off. Kind of the way Muse, or Keane, manages. Standout tracks are "Face Break," "Pins," and the luscious, soaring "Remind." Go on, listen to that track, and then get it out of your head. Try.
Listening to this record has got me thinking about the filtration system of bands who "make it." What's make it, anyhow? It's not like radio airplay really means anything anymore, and MySpace friends can be faked if you try hard enough, and while record sales can clue us in about the number of real fans a group has so much just gets downloaded that there's no accurate way to tell how many people are actually listening to your record as you gave it out.
I suppose it rests on concert attendance and ticket sales--what is presumably the bottom line of a band's financial success anyway. Speaking of, I have to see if these guys are touring....
