Tin Scribble - "Children of Saturn"
(self-released 2005)
Tin Scribble - "Children of Saturn"
(self-released 2005)
From Aural Innovations #39 (May 2008)
From Detroit, Michigan comes Tin Scribble, a Prog rock band that excels at being simultaneously complex and accessible. The CD opens with introductory music, including voice samples of George Bush and others, sounding like this might be an indictment of the Bush administration (good!). "Vox de Morte" is the first song, an accessible progressive rocker with crunchy power chords and some outstanding guitar leads. Ditto for "Schwa", a track from later in the set, which is a balls out rocker with chunky power chords and ripping leads and a demonic bottom end. Next we get more voice samples before launching into the Prog & Metallic rocking "Intervallum" (not to be confused with Prog-Metal… I hate that term). Excellent, imaginative arrangements on this one, with a bluesy but completely freaky slide guitar injected into the mix, along with some mildly psychedelic bits, and again the guitar work is damn good all around. "Listen" features some Middle Eastern psychedelic influences, but within the Prog & Metal style that characterizes Tin Scribble's sound. It's difficult to describe and definitely keeps the music varied and interesting. And later in the song they launch into full majestic Progressive bombast, power chords raining blows and tasty melodic guitar leads. "Wake" has some of the best, albeit brief, guitar work on the album. These guys love to keep shifting the guitar sounds, which is a-ok with me because it all sounds great.
And on it goes for the reminder of the CD. I enjoyed this album. I don't know where they got the Hawkwind, Gong, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator references in their promo sheet from. This is absolutely nothing like Hawkwind or Gong. Probably some King Crimson and maybe some Van Der Graaf Generator. A more purely Prog oriented Porcupine Tree comes to mind as an analogy. The continually shifting themes and dynamics kept me off balance and interested throughout. But overall I'd say if you like accessible dark themed Progressive rock with lots of Metal, but also bits of off-the-beaten-path influences, plus high octane energy and sophisticated arrangements, you'll dig Tin Scribble.
For more information you can visit the Tin Scribble web site at: http://www.tinscribble.com.
Visit the Tin Scribble Myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/tinscribble.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz