| "This is my excuse to testify"
Celldweller rocks the underground music scene
By Eric Valdes
The future of popular music is here. Celldweller, the brainchild of veteran writer/producer Klayton, has been making waves in the underground music scene since the release of its self-titled debut album in 2003. The album showcases Celldweller's unique sound, a seamless fusion of the best elements of metal, trance, pop, and hip-hop; the band's website characterizes it as "[at] home in the mosh pit as easily as on the DJ's turntable." While some would be tempted to compare Celldweller to Linkin Park, this is not just pop with guitars; this is music with some substance. More than just great jams to crank up, these genre-bending tracks feature genuinely innovative arrangements that are as interesting to listen to as they are to dance to.
The album begins with the intro to "Switchback," its flagship single: a series of rapidly pulsating synths build to an instrumental version of the song's raging, guitar-heavy, industrial breakdown. Staccato guitar chords mix with relentless harmonics, smooth vocals, and an upbeat dance rhythm in this powerful song about regret. The musical theme continues with "Stay With Me (Unlikely)," then takes a hard hitting turn in "The Last Firstborn," which seamlessly blends the style of old Slipknot with beautiful trance, in both music and vocals; this reviewer's personal favorite, this track must be heard to be believed. The album continues to exhibit dynamic musical themes, from the tremendously heavy, catchy, gothic-industrial jam "Frozen," to the light and poppy "So Sorry to Say," a track that is reminiscent of an orchestral Depeche Mode; all of this to a driving techno backbeat. Musical interludes dot the album, providing breathing room between songs while maintaining a dark atmosphere.
The Celldweller live show takes an interesting approach to rock performance; rather than playing the songs as heard on the album, the band creates a continuous live remix in time to a video and light show, using beats and melodies from several songs as unifying themes throughout the set. Each member switches instruments several times during the performance, though the website seems to imply that all drums for the show are programmed. This reviewer has not seen the performance, but hopes to see them on tour in support of their upcoming album, to be released in 2005.
Celldweller's backbone is Klayton, the mastermind of nineties industrial band Circle of Dust. With numerous production, writing, and recording credits to Klayton's name, Celldweller is the culmination of a lengthy career in industrial rock. Klayton is responsible for everything on the album: programming, live instruments, lead vocals, engineering and even mixing. An amazing testament to the quality of the work and freedom from corporate influence, the album has been released completely independently, and was initially available only through the band's website, www.celldweller.com. The intervening time has seen it added to several online distributors such as Amazon.com, as well as some independent record stores and limited Best Buy and Virgin Records locations. As of this review, the album is still not available in Florida stores, so fans must mail-order the album and merchandise, or purchase it at a live performance. For more information, visit www.celldweller.com.
|
