Published on Dec 5, 2003
The instant the furious opening blasts of distorted wah-wah
licks explode forth into your eardrums, it becomes apparent that
Poised For The Worm is no run-of-the-mill indie rock band.
Indeed, if you are a rock fan and the thought of Black Sabbath
riffery melded with Cheap Trick-style power-pop hooks played with
the rawness and intensity of hardcore does not have you instantly
salivating, then you simply are not a true rock fan. Poised For The
Worm have developed a sound that is distinctly their own, taking
the best qualities of their influences to produce some of the most
promising sounds to come out of the hard rock underground in a very
long time.
How refreshing it is to see a new band come out of the gates
swinging with this, their debut CD,
With Baited Breath, and hit a home run. Remaining fresh and
vital over the course of a filler-free 10 tracks, the band sounds
tight, determined, and passionate. Perhaps most impressively, they
manage to avoid the pitfalls of genericism and clichés that
plague most newcomers to the rock scene.
Another positive aspect that struck me right away is that while
the music is consistently powerful and aggressive, the arrangements
always remain tasteful. It is obvious that the musicians are all
experts at their respective instruments, but their individual
virtuosity is unleashed in subtle doses rather than self-indulgent
wanking, which often happens to be the case in this genre.
Drummer Travis “Paco” Watts displays an awesome knowledge and
control of his kit, particularly during his practically insane
tom-tom rolls on the intense “Carousoleil.” Drummers of such
astonishing technical ability are certainly a rare breed in rock in
general, to say nothing of the indie scene.
Steve “Honey” Brown matches Watts every step of the way with his
effortless bass contributions. Know how most bassists more or less
tend to follow the guitar riffs to act as an anchor without ever
really standing apart on their own? Not this guy. His almost
improvised sounding basslines fill out the background with
countless rumbles and twangs that are completely independent of the
main guitar riffs without serving as a distraction. That’s what’s
called mastery, folks.
Guitarist and main songwriter Gerald “Rev Fear” Fratzl (full
disclosure: yeah, he’s my brother) shreds out loads of blistering
riffs that immediately grab hold of you and refuse to let go. His
hyperactive strumming and raw, punkish tone is nicely balanced with
bluesy, and occasionally even Eastern-style lead lines injected
into the fray to provide the proceedings with soulful melodies that
most bands of this nature usually lack. But, like his bandmates, he
refrains from providing needless displays of his ability despite it
being rather clear from his layered and well-composed lines that he
is entirely capable of doing so.
Singer Allan “Zeus” Grego rounds out the line-up, and while at
times his voice is slightly flat, his style suits the music
greatly, bringing a distinct personality and charisma to the fold.
I particularly like the fact that he brings a vulnerable
sensitivity to his delivery on occasion, having the overall effect
of making the music more believable and respectful than it would be
with the ridiculously macho, testosterone-fuelled bullshit that is
all too common in the hard rock genre. Top marks for that.
As if there wasn’t already enough to praise, I must also add
that the lyrics, written by both Gerald “Rev Fear” Fratzl and Allan
“Zeus” Grego, are uniformly excellent. For the most part, they are
dark and heavily cynical, overflowing with an uncertainty, despair,
hopelessness, lament and anxiety that even a master such as Alice
Cooper would admire. Especially the bleak and brooding “Asylum” is
evidence of this, and just may be the standout track on the album.
You can just feel the dark, heavy riffs tightening like a noose
around your neck as the perfect musical accompaniment to the
claustrophobic lyrics.
The brilliance of the album is that despite the dark subject
matter, the music never depresses you. The quick pace and the
catchy melodies provide the perfect antidote to what might
otherwise collapse under its own ominous mood.
But the band is not completely humorless. An unexpected, almost
Tubes-like deviation into disco territory complete with swirling
strings, a funky beat, and liberal use of cowbell during the
otherwise hard-rocking bridge of “Crisco Fever” is one example of
this, and they pull it off amazingly well. If anything, that
section should be a lot longer than it is. The other point where
humor rears its head is during the closing track, “Gleam,”
hilarious parody that is quite possibly the most savage lampoon
ever written of suburban ginos with their obsession over self-image
and compensatory “Peacock syndrome” of collecting and suping up
wimpy imported cars. The song even ends with a monologue by Grego
from the perspective of the lyrical victim adorned by a mellow,
basement-stoner melody that recalls Black Sabbath’s “Planet
Caravan.” Simply magnificent.
The only faults I can find with the album are rather miniscule
to say the least. Some of the guitar riffs seem a bit too similar
to each other in certain places. I would like to see more variation
in that department, although all of the 10 songs have very distinct
main melodies that set them apart. And despite my praising of the
band’s restraint, I would like to see them cut loose just a bit
more. I’m sure they are capable of providing some dazzling
arrangements and I’d like to see that aspect develop on future
releases.
Poised For The Worm is a surefire hit just waiting to be
discovered by the insatiable hard rock hordes. The band has all the
potential one could imagine, and with the right luck, management,
and promotion, they could fully realize their immense promise.
[Visit Poised For The Worm’s website at
www.poisedfortheworm.ca
for more information and soundclips.]