Label: Metal Blade
Year: 2008
Home: British Columbia, Canada
Members: James Farwell ~ vocals/guitars
Dan And ~ guitars/b. vocals
Masa Anzai ~ bass
Brad Mackinnon ~ drums
Guest: Jamie Hooper ~ vocals
Confession time. I have a particular fondness for Vancouver, B.C., where I once visited a past lover on the weekends, making it a home away from home, so it's no surprise that this band should get put on my CD player. I will argue that, outside of Quebec, it's hard to define if there's such a thing as a Canadian metal sound, but if Bison b.c. is an example of the high caliber & creativity of Canadian metal bands, I predict that everyone will eventually succumb to a fondness for Vancouver as it becomes to metal what Seattle is to grunge, as it's already become the new Hollywood to tv production. Quiet Earth is an interesting listen because all the songs melt into each other other like an ocean, so it's easy to not hear their individual dynamics on a half-hearted first listen, which is more typical with multi-tasking fans than not including myself. But, a couple songs into this musical tide & there dawns the sudden realization that something has been missed & that this is not just another thrash band on the block & it's finger to the rewind button time. This is a dynamic metal orchestra that has created 43 haunting minutes of rockin' metal with a lot of well thought out subtle rhythmic touches and arrangements. I particularly liked the vocals that verge on uncontrolled screaming but stay firmly in the camp of just plain animalistic. Great drumming & strong duel guitar rhythms will inspire musicians from here to ... Canada.
(originally written for the Roman Midnight Music newsletter Issue 1, Summer 2009; expanded for blog)
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