Published on Jul 1, 1999
Ever since Rush hit the big time, it seems like there has been a
push every once in a while to name some band with a progressive
bend to them as the next Rush. I think they once tried to stick
that label on Triumph, though they were closer to the metal vein
than they were progressive rock.
Now, another claimant to the throne comes to challenge.
Detroit-based Tiles steps into the forefront with their third album
(and first for the prog-rock label Magna Carta)
Presents Of Mind, a disc that occasionally comes forward to
challenge your way of thinking about this kind of music, but often
falls prey to overambition and not enough muscle to deliver the
goods.
The band – vocalist Paul Rarick, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist
Chris Herin, bassist Jeff Whittle and drummer Pat DeLeon – try to
harness the magic of Rush not only by utilizing Hugh Syme (who has
created the album covers for Rush since 1975) to do their cover,
but also by snagging Terry Brown to mix the album. Okay, all fine
and good, but what does the
music sound like?
That’s where a little trouble comes in. It’s not that any member
of Tiles isn’t technically competent on their instrument; indeed,
each member demonstrates both incredible skill and good judgment in
not trying to hog the spotlight with gaudy, overdone solos. It’s
just that the excitement level of this album never hits a frenzied
level, something that I would have expected with all the hype that
people have tried to drum up about this band.
There are the moments of genius on
Presents Of Mind, such as the 11-minute opus “Reasonable
Doubt,” which keeps my interest throughout the course of the song,
and the instrumental “Ballad Of The Sacred Cows”. Moments like
these show the potential that Tiles has, while allowing them the
opportunity to find their own voice away from the ghosts of bands
like Rush and Phish, to whom they’ve been compared.
Unfortunately,
Presents Of Mind is not able to maintain this level of
brilliance, as many songs just seem to fall short of the marks.
Tracks like “Facing Failure,” “The Learning Curve” and “Safe
Procedures” don’t open any new doors to discovery, and the band
doesn’t throw as much life into these songs as one might wish they
did.
Tacked on to the end of
Presents Of Mind are two unmixed live tracks taken from a
television appearance. This normally would be an interesting
inclusion (especially seeing that the bonus tracks only appear on
the American version), but there is a noticeable sound quality drop
on “Patterns” and “Token Pledge” that is very distracting. I know
these tracks should serve as a portrait into the band’s coming of
age, but I find it hard to believe that something couldn’t have
been done to improve the overall sound.
Not really progressive and not really metal, Tiles straddles the
line between the two genres and, on
Presents Of Mind, creates an album that causes a little more
confusion and disappointment than joy. Fans of the genres may wish
to pick
Presents Of Mind up, and who knows, you just might enjoy it.
But save the gift receipt, just in case.