SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM
The first time I had heard of SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM, which features
members of BROTHER CANE (guitarist Damon Johnson and bassist Roman
Glick) and QUEENSRŸCHE (drummer Scott Rockenfield and guitarist Kelly
Gray) was back in 2002. Marc
reviewed a disc by them,
and I'm glad to know they didn't give up on this side project. I think
2002 would have been the wrong time to release a disc like
Slave To The System, but the time is about right for a collection like this, which features some very seasoned players, to be heard.
Damon Johnson has always been one of the most underrated singers in
rock, and until now I had never really heard Kelly Gray sing (I was NOT
a fan of his contributions to Queensryche, but he seems to fit better
here). The songs are straight-ahead, hooky, well-executed rock tunes,
which will play well with a midwest and southern rock-buying public.
"Ruby Wednesday" and "Slave To The System" lead this disc off very
strong, and unlike a lot of bands, who fall apart on the more mellow
tracks, STS shows off their slower side very well with "Live This Life"
I don't think any of these guys was shooting to form the next
AUDIOSLAVE-type supergroup. I think they just enjoy hanging out and
making music, and
Slave To The System is a direct reflection of that vibe.
