RUST & JADE
I'm checking out the
ANAKA website while checking out
Rust & Jade, and reading the
band's bio, and one thought keeps surfacing: "Dude, get a spell check"... OK, well two thoughts keep surfacing...that first one, and this: "You seem pretty passionate...use some of that passion to write better songs"...
Guitarist Peter Pallis (who resembles Jack Black in some photos) is the brains behind Anaka. He's creative, he's driven, he's passionate about what he's doing. However, he's not doing anything differently that a hundred other guys have done before him. He can write good riffs, but he can't write around them. All of the song lyrics follow the guitar riff...almost exactly. Nearly every band that's done that through the history of bands hasn't risen above local bar band status.
"Wither on the Vine", despite being very thinly produced, has some really cool riffage. There's nothing that would stop Peter Parris from writing riffs for CORROSION OF CONFORMITY or SUPERJOINT RITUAL...but he falls way short when it comes to delivering the vocal melody...and that's unfortunately what most people will be listening to.
Vocalist Jimmy Parris (and Peter's brother) is a decent singer. He's nothing extroardinary, but he can stay in key, which is better than a lot of local acts. He's got the looks though; if they could come up with better songs, they could stand a chance at landing a decent deal (even with the business being in the shitter as it is currently).
I will give the band kudos on designing their CD very well. The retro-looking vinyl LP thing is way cool... excellent job, guys. You MUST make it easier for people to buy though... asking people to Email you for directions on how to buy it is just adding an extra step. Put up an online store. it's easy as hell.
OK, review over. Go back and write some better vocal melodies.
