Hot on the heels of a debut CD released at the height of the pandemic to critical acclaim Blood 2 Dust attempts to make sense of human frailty and mortality ("Blood 2 Dust", "Judgement Day"), the horrors of dementia and memory loss ("I Can’t Remember Your Name") while tackling the dark sides of social media and cancel culture ("Reality Check", "Truth in the Shadows"). The title track kicks things off in style with a powerful groove capably anchored by drummer Wes Hallam and bassist Amrit Prasad. The twin guitar attack of Ted Tosoff and Dave Groves swirls seamlessly throughout the song while keyboardist Mike Russel adds color and musicality to the mix with orchestral blasts. Vocalist Kevin Wright howls forlornly “When it’s over and done maybe that’s all….from blood to dust” questioning promises of an afterlife free from earthly burdens while encouraging listeners to live each day as if it were their last.
The dark and moody shuffle that propels"‘I Can’t Remember Your Name" takes us into the mind of an Alzheimers patient struggling to retain identity and sense of self in a confusing and rapidly shrinking world. The catchy chorus and uplifting keyboard lines juxtapose with the sad nature of the lyrical content. "I Can’t Remember Your Name" is dedicated to family members whose minds have been stolen by dementia and those who have had to deal with the aftermath .
Up-tempo rocker "Reality Check" critically examines the pitfalls of social media with a warning to users to “Watch your step, it’s over in a minute until there’s nothing else that is leff". Guitar and keyboard lines intertwine harmoniously throughout, building to a hard-hitting chorus before falling to an atmospheric breakdown where vocalist Kevin Wright laments that the online world has become“A candy-coated nightmare, everybody has a blank stare”. Well said Kevin!
Living through a pandemic has highlighted just how much of daily life humanitytakes for granted. Lyricist Ted Tosoff was suddenly bereft of any gigs or income but found enough inspiration in the repetitive banality of self-isolation to write the song "Judgement Day". “I was sitting in my room just staring into space while descending deeper into madness and the words just started to flow” claims Tosoff. ‘Tomorrow keeps on turning into the day that went before’ sings Kevin Wright summing up feelings of hopelessness before more optimistically declaring that he ‘Never, never know where I’m going I know there’s something more.’ A Zeppelin-esque and relentless power grind from Wes Hallam evokes memories of John Bonham while the retro riffing of Dave Groves and Ted Tosoff give the song aflavor of Jimmy Page. Spaghetti western saloon-style piano and keyboard work from Mike Russel completes the picture nicely.
Album closer "Truth In The Shadows" comments on the difficulty of determining fact from fiction in the digital age. The bluesy vocal delivery from Kevin Wright would be at home on any Whitesnake record while the big harmonies of the chorus line ‘Truth in the shadows, lies upon the street’ sound at home on any modern rock station. The song takes a left turn in the middle section with some tasty Queen-inspired guitar work from Dave Groves before building back to a vocal crescendo of epic proportions from the band as a whole.
Epic and timely, modern and retro. Do yourself a favor and get Mad Symphonys’ Blood 2 Dust today.
Purchase and stream Blood 2 Dust here.
Tracklisting:
"Blood 2 Dust"
"I Can’t Remember Your Name"
"Reality Check"
"Judgement Day"
"Truth In The Shadows"
Mad Symphony is:
Kevin Wright - Lead Vocals, Percussion
Dave Groves - Lead Guitar, BG Vocals
Ted Tosoff - Rhythm Guitar, BG Vocals
Mike Russell - Keyboards, BG Vocals
Amrit Prasad - Bass
Wes Hallam - Drums
(Photo - Asher Photography)
