With that notion stuck in my head, I began a search this week for a band that might not be so well known collectively as one or more members may be individually. With the parameters of the search established, I found myself looking at a band called The Aristocrats. Drummer Marco Minnemann has been in several prog bands, clinics, and projects. He has performed with Terry Bozio, Eddie Jobson and John Wetton in the Ultimate Zero Project, the prog power trio KMB (Keneally, Minnemann, and Beller), and was runner-up to Mike Mangini as the heir apparent to Mike Portnoy when Portnoy left Dream Theater.
Jumping in feet first, my opening selection this week is a song entitled,"Sweaty Knockers." I will admit the title made my head spin back to the right just a bit as I was thumbing through the collection...and I am certainly glad it did. The opening guitar riff makes my fingers bleed just visualizing it--so many time signature changes it defies logic...yet the music does not crack your speakers and they don't play loud just for the sake of playing loud. The drums are lightning fast and the bass player has so many pedals he's working I swear there must be 500 garage doors randomly opening and closing within a 25 mile radius...
I move down the line to my next tasty morsel, "Waves." Once again the guitar is the focal point of the song and Govan truly is a master with an axe. The Aristocrats are a band that feed off each other...one musician raises the bar and the others eagerly follow suit. The Aristocrats make it fun to just sit and listen to prog music. After two-and-a-half minutes the guitar takes a backseat to some strong bass line and drums--but just for a minute. "Waves" hits you head-on like it's high tide 24/7 and a storm just rolled in...
Liner Notes...The Aristocrats are Guthrie Govan on guitar, Marco Minnemann on drums, and Bryan Beller on bass. Short and sweet, this trio plays like there are three musicians on the stage and fifteen more behind the scenes keeping up. All three have numerous side gigs to their credit including tours and albums with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Steven Wilson...just to scratch the surface. The band formed almost by accident in January 2011 and have not let up since...and suddenly a big "Yeah!" was heard for accidental band formation...
I like what I hear but like a true proghead I need more...and helping number three is just the fix; "I Want a Parrot." It seems The Aristocrats are unable to play anything without first smacking you in the head to get your attention...and once again I am eyes front and ears wide open. The bass is a little funkier here and the drums hop throughout...reminding me of an old blues number being played a little too fast and hard--and thus sounding better than the original.
The selection below was carefully chosen as I wanted to showcase the wide range of abilities The Aristocrats possess. "Culture Clash" is a song that showcases all three musicians in their own right. It is hard to find a song by this trio where the guitar is not front and center, but here it feels as though the guitar needs the drums and bass to complete the sound and bring everything full circle. One of the great things about The Aristocrats is no one in the band acts as though he is the reason they are so good. Each member understands that to be at this level requires all three members to be at their peak. What I especially appreciate is the way the music seems to use mood, passion, and raw emotion to bring it to life. The true culture clash is just that--everyone wanting their ideas and opinions to be the most recognized and popular...but that is impossible. Like it or not, some ideas, opinions, and thoughts get thrust upon the masses as the next best thing and "we the people" are supposed to simply accept them. The Aristocrats thumb their collective noses at that notion and play on as they choose--on their terms--letting individuals decide...and THAT is the essence of prog...and also what makes The Aristocrats the perfect spokesband for the cause if you will...
And just as easily and quickly as it started, another seven days has advanced on the reel-to-reel...please mark your calendars to come back next week for another look into the progressive library. All this deep searching has really opened my eyes, ears, and mind...and I look forward to filling the newly created void...until next Tuesday...
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