RGG March 2016 - p.15
EP:
Just The Trip
www
thechemicalmojo com
Verdict:
When you hear this band you cannot
ignore the incredible vocal harmonies that yet
again raise a salute to the ghosts of Seattle.
Whereas some bands who dip into the Layne
Staley sounding universe tend to imitate the
early material, this band you can tell have been
inspired by the more experimental and twisted
self titled album by Alice In Chains. This is
mainly due to the fact that songs are bordering
the five to six minute mark - an incredible feat to
pull off well if you want to keep the listener
interested. Chemical Mojo have actually
achieved something that very few bands can do
and that's to more than capture the essence of
the final stages of Staley at the helm of AIC.
Guitar playing is incredible, erratic and
compelling. Songs like 'After The Fall' have the
groove of 1995 and they sound amazing. I've
never heard a band write songs as good as the
original aforementioned inspiration and come off
sounding superior. So the question remains, why
should we listen to this EP? Well, it's got to be
said that, despite the obvious influences, this is
so high in originality. This is art and when you
hear songs like 'Got The Taste' you know that
there is nothing accidental on this record. I've
watched this band live too and I was just as
blown away. Some great lyrics stand out such
as “Old ears in a digital age” and “Men who can
lead after lifetimes of hiding”. I really admire this
band a lot.
CHEMICAL MOJO
Verdict:
Musician Mike Hatton releases this
solo bass album titled 'Pastures New' and If you
own a six string bass guitar then boy is this the
album for you. As tempting as it was, Mike
deliberately resisted using any other instrument
on the album - that was the first mistake. The
second was posting the finished thing to me and
possibly expecting a detailed song by song
review. I've never listened to an hour long drum
or guitar solo, so you can imagine my lack of
excitement at the thought of reviewing a 56
minute long CD of pretty much nothing but the
lowest range of musical notes. This is a
wonderful album to hear if you have a passion
for bass guitar (and who doesn't?) but I would
rather put my hand up in the air and say “Sorry
Mike I can't review this album because this is not
an album”. It is however, a very brave collection
of bass recordings, all beautifully played might I
add. If the point of this CD is to let Mike and
others know he can play the bass guitar very
well, then job done. I am not trying to slate this
at all. I'm just being brutally honest. I'm sure a
bass guitar magazine would be more thorough
than me - and good luck to them, but this sounds
like an incomplete project waiting for other
instruments. I admire the courage to post a CD
of pure bass, but I have no idea who would listen
to this.
MIKE HATTON
Album:
Pastures New
www
facebook com/mike hatton
ep
month
of
the
r
gg
21
YEARS
1995-2016
