The instant the furious opening blasts of distorted wah-wah
\nlicks explode forth into your eardrums, it becomes apparent that
\nPoised For The Worm is no run-of-the-mill indie rock band.<\/p>\n
Indeed, if you are a rock fan and the thought of Black Sabbath
\nriffery melded with Cheap Trick-style power-pop hooks played with
\nthe rawness and intensity of hardcore does not have you instantly
\nsalivating, then you simply are not a true rock fan. Poised For The
\nWorm have developed a sound that is distinctly their own, taking
\nthe best qualities of their influences to produce some of the most
\npromising sounds to come out of the hard rock underground in a very
\nlong time.<\/p>\n
How refreshing it is to see a new band come out of the gates
\nswinging with this, their debut CD,
\nWith Baited Breath<\/i>, and hit a home run. Remaining fresh and
\nvital over the course of a filler-free 10 tracks, the band sounds
\ntight, determined, and passionate. Perhaps most impressively, they
\nmanage to avoid the pitfalls of genericism and clich\u00e9s that
\nplague most newcomers to the rock scene.<\/p>\n
Another positive aspect that struck me right away is that while
\nthe music is consistently powerful and aggressive, the arrangements
\nalways remain tasteful. It is obvious that the musicians are all
\nexperts at their respective instruments, but their individual
\nvirtuosity is unleashed in subtle doses rather than self-indulgent
\nwanking, which often happens to be the case in this genre.<\/p>\n
Drummer Travis “Paco” Watts displays an awesome knowledge and
\ncontrol of his kit, particularly during his practically insane
\ntom-tom rolls on the intense “Carousoleil.” Drummers of such
\nastonishing technical ability are certainly a rare breed in rock in
\ngeneral, to say nothing of the indie scene.<\/p>\n
Steve “Honey” Brown matches Watts every step of the way with his
\neffortless bass contributions. Know how most bassists more or less
\ntend to follow the guitar riffs to act as an anchor without ever
\nreally standing apart on their own? Not this guy. His almost
\nimprovised sounding basslines fill out the background with
\ncountless rumbles and twangs that are completely independent of the
\nmain guitar riffs without serving as a distraction. That’s what’s
\ncalled mastery, folks.<\/p>\n
Guitarist and main songwriter Gerald “Rev Fear” Fratzl (full
\ndisclosure: yeah, he’s my brother) shreds out loads of blistering
\nriffs that immediately grab hold of you and refuse to let go. His
\nhyperactive strumming and raw, punkish tone is nicely balanced with
\nbluesy, and occasionally even Eastern-style lead lines injected
\ninto the fray to provide the proceedings with soulful melodies that
\nmost bands of this nature usually lack. But, like his bandmates, he
\nrefrains from providing needless displays of his ability despite it
\nbeing rather clear from his layered and well-composed lines that he
\nis entirely capable of doing so.<\/p>\n
Singer Allan “Zeus” Grego rounds out the line-up, and while at
\ntimes his voice is slightly flat, his style suits the music
\ngreatly, bringing a distinct personality and charisma to the fold.
\nI particularly like the fact that he brings a vulnerable
\nsensitivity to his delivery on occasion, having the overall effect
\nof making the music more believable and respectful than it would be
\nwith the ridiculously macho, testosterone-fuelled bullshit that is
\nall too common in the hard rock genre. Top marks for that.<\/p>\n
As if there wasn’t already enough to praise, I must also add
\nthat the lyrics, written by both Gerald “Rev Fear” Fratzl and Allan
\n“Zeus” Grego, are uniformly excellent. For the most part, they are
\ndark and heavily cynical, overflowing with an uncertainty, despair,
\nhopelessness, lament and anxiety that even a master such as Alice
\nCooper would admire. Especially the bleak and brooding “Asylum” is
\nevidence of this, and just may be the standout track on the album.
\nYou can just feel the dark, heavy riffs tightening like a noose
\naround your neck as the perfect musical accompaniment to the
\nclaustrophobic lyrics.<\/p>\n
The brilliance of the album is that despite the dark subject
\nmatter, the music never depresses you. The quick pace and the
\ncatchy melodies provide the perfect antidote to what might
\notherwise collapse under its own ominous mood.<\/p>\n
But the band is not completely humorless. An unexpected, almost
\nTubes-like deviation into disco territory complete with swirling
\nstrings, a funky beat, and liberal use of cowbell during the
\notherwise hard-rocking bridge of “Crisco Fever” is one example of
\nthis, and they pull it off amazingly well. If anything, that
\nsection should be a lot longer than it is. The other point where
\nhumor rears its head is during the closing track, “Gleam,”
\nhilarious parody that is quite possibly the most savage lampoon
\never written of suburban ginos with their obsession over self-image
\nand compensatory “Peacock syndrome” of collecting and suping up
\nwimpy imported cars. The song even ends with a monologue by Grego
\nfrom the perspective of the lyrical victim adorned by a mellow,
\nbasement-stoner melody that recalls Black Sabbath’s “Planet
\nCaravan.” Simply magnificent.<\/p>\n
The only faults I can find with the album are rather miniscule
\nto say the least. Some of the guitar riffs seem a bit too similar
\nto each other in certain places. I would like to see more variation
\nin that department, although all of the 10 songs have very distinct
\nmain melodies that set them apart. And despite my praising of the
\nband’s restraint, I would like to see them cut loose just a bit
\nmore. I’m sure they are capable of providing some dazzling
\narrangements and I’d like to see that aspect develop on future
\nreleases.<\/p>\n
Poised For The Worm is a surefire hit just waiting to be
\ndiscovered by the insatiable hard rock hordes. The band has all the
\npotential one could imagine, and with the right luck, management,
\nand promotion, they could fully realize their immense promise.<\/p>\n