Silverspork - Selah

Year of Release: 2003
Label: S & S Music
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

Many folks tend to think of themselves as somebody they're not. Just ask the band Silverpsork. They sing all about it on their new album Selah. The lead-off track "100,000 Jesus Christs" starts things off, gets you thinking, and sets the tone for the entire album. Think about that title for a minute. One of the lines in the song goes: "100,000 Jesus Christs, 100,000 assholes can't be right, 100,000 neo-pagans, 100,000 that will never be Christ." Just a little food for thought, eh? By the way, did I mention that these guys play some totally kick ass alternative-metal? They most certainly do, and to an unusual extent, I might add. The musicianship is outstanding in this band.

The powerful sweeping guitar lines of Carl Abila leave a lasting impression on you and the lead vocals of Brian Gretzinger, who sounds likes Michael Stipe of REM when he sings in a more toned down mellow state, helps to take the music to another level of understanding for the listener. Gretzinger gets his point across real well with emotionally torn vocalizations. Mario Salcedo (drums) and Ryan Phillips (bass) provide the knockout punch in the rhythm section, giving their sound a bottom line to build each colossal tune.

Their approach is much like the illustration on their CD. Their wheel of fortune, like one you would find in a casino, is quite different. This wheel has every kind of emotion and feeling listed on it, so where it stops nobody knows. That is what you get when you listen to Silverspork. Just give the CD the spin; you never know what feeling, meaning, or state of mind it end up at. The CD cover is another indicator of where they are coming from as well. The picture is a solar eclipse, a profound and a rare event in the course of one's lifetime. Could this be a message to people that may have blinders on, not allowing a clear vision of what is in front of them? Is this a total eclipse of the heart and mind man is experiencing right now? They also sing about Israel being the center of the world, about being agnostic and how the Anti-Christ is here, definitely not music for the avid church attendee, if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, these guys are not devil worshipers, they are merely observing what is going on in their world and setting the table with some raucous music. I can see how they could easily build a crowd into a wild frenzy at a live performance. Their angst and all out power of their music is an asset, and one that I am sure they have patiently developed over the years.

I guess you can say I enjoyed the words as much as the music on this album, and trust me; it does not always work that way. Sometimes I cannot understand a thing vocalized on an album, nor do I care to, I just listen to the music. This is music for the free thinkers of the world to feast upon, and it doesn't hurt to enjoy jumping into the mosh pit of life once in a while either. This band is heavy duty and usually that term is reserved for music only, I mean that in an all-encompassing way with Silverspork, they rock your senses with tremendous music and lyrics. What more could you possibly get from a listening experience than that? I would venture to say not much. Go ahead and gamble, give the wheel of life a spin.

Tracklisting:
100,000 Jesus Christs / Abortion Of My Reflection / Red Serenity / Auto-Pilot / Paper Mache / Less Than Zero / Perfect World / Bigot / F.U.N.T.

Musicians:
Carl Abila - guitar
Brian Gretzinger -vocals
Mario Salcedo - drums
Ryan Phillips - bass

Discography:
Selah (2003)

Genre: Other

Origin US

Added: May 16th 2004
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.silverspork.com
Hits: 1632
Language: english