The Divebomb Revolution - The Divebomb Revolution
Posted Sun 21 Sep 2008 13:16 by lazarus.
The problem with working with genres is that they often become too restrictive or too inflexible to be at all helpful in trying to describe such a fluid and individual thing as music. In this instance, for example, where does rock end and metal start? At what point does progressive rock become neo-progressive rock, when is gothic music cheery enough to be given a brighter, more optimistic name, and when does a “wide range of influences” get replaced by the term “experimental”? Was Billy Joel right all along when he said “it’s still rock and roll to me“? Thankfully, in the case of music, bands come with a handy label already built in and this one goes by the name of The Divebomb Revolution.
Their eponymous debut album has been a long time coming and despite this, or likely because of it, it is well worth the wait. The Divebomb Revolution seem to often transcend the act of merely creating songs, and the phrase that springs to mind is that they “make musical statements”, a term coined by a band from the golden age of musical excesses, Rush, another three-piece that seem to share a lot of creative common ground. They have the ability to create something that cocoons the listener in its complexities but never lose the sight of the fundamentals such as melody and groove.
It’s not the sort of album that requires too much analysis of the individual songs, it should be enjoyed in its entirety. This isn’t some indie band whose album is merely a tool for getting a couple of disposable sub-pop tunes on to Radio One. You could say that this is the Shakespeare to their Mills and Boon. Think of it more as a sonic odyssey. When the Stream Becomes a River, however, is one of those songs that neatly encompasses a lot of what The Divebomb Revolution is all about. It starts in a sort of middle-eastern version of new- …sorry, nu-metal, with hypnotic, spiralling guitars, and Tom’s often chant-like vocals creating an arabesque feel, before heading into an almost Vangelisian soundtrack, complete with a brooding saxophone that suggests the smoky, dim apartment of Blade Runner.
There is still time to whip all of this up into a frenzy and race off before the song comes to its natural conclusion back in the futuristic moody theme. That alone would seem good value for money, but that is only one track of ten on this stunning album. Play-out song Epidemic also deserves a mention. At over seventeen minutes, this is the band indulging themselves, and rightly so. It is a real tour de force that gets right to the heart of what they are all about and, again, combines futuristic soundscapes, minimal haunting passages, and a majestic second half that sees each member of the band pushing his playing ability to the limits.
The production and attention to detail on this album are spectacular. There is depth, atmosphere and wonderful separation between the instruments, and the drums in particular stand out. Instead of having to suffer the normal rock attitude of just using the drums to keep the beat and power things along, you get to hear them being played like a front-of-house instrument. It is the tight, well defined, tuned kit, not to mention the playing prowess of Ollie himself, that make the drums transcend the mortal realm that most bands are content to operate in. But then the same accolades can easily be poured on the other two. Rich seems to be operating as a bass master class throughout. Intricate almost lead riffs evolve into warped, industrial, funk basslines, and solid low-ended metal flavours vie for attention with simple, yet effective root notes that anchor the more delicate parts of the music in place. This solid and flexible foundation is the ideal platform for front-man Tom to lay down guitar parts that range from jagged, white noise at one extreme, to delicate gossamer tones at the other whilst delivering everything from a whisper to a scream over the top. Incidentally, the vocals have been the one aspect of the band that have often suffered in the live shows, but here everything is put right in that aspect.
This is an album that has been eagerly awaited by many people and I doubt if any of them will be disappointed. Why this band aren’t making a living from their music and out touring in support of the big names is a mystery, but with this album as their chief weapon, and the ability to recreate it live, then surely it is only a matter of time?
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