Colors

Colors is a 64-minute prog-metal rollercoaster
by: Dominique Minor

Colors is a 64-minute prog-metal rollercoaster that incorporates free jazz, acoustic pop, arena rock, and polka among other things. The opening track, "Foam Born: The Backtrack", begins with a gentle piano melody as vocalist Tommy Rogers sings tenderly over it. However, don't let his soothing Ben Folds-like vocals and lulling piano chords fool you. Approximately fifty-five seconds later, the drums kick into full force, along with a distorted guitar chug, and Rogers goes into full metal mode delivering hell-bent cookie monster-style vocals. Listeners may find themselves wondering what they just witnessed, and rightfully so. The entire album reflects this pattern: one minute the band is slapping you in the face with brutal thrash, the next they're gently caressing you with sweet melodies --kind of like the musical equivalent of a crazy ex-girlfriend.

While the constantly changing time-signatures and various music stylings keep this album from being monotonous, there are some moments where songs seem unsettled. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to hear a young band pushing its creative limits. The strongest track on the album is probably "Sun of Nothing", a te! n-minute sonic voyage complete with laughing babies, Pink Floyd-inspired melodies, and a guitar interlude that would make Brian May smile. For the most part, the blending of music stylings on Colors work, but sometimes fails miserably. For example, the bizarre polka breakdown in "Ants of the Sky." Polka does not belong anywhere on a metalcore album. On the whole, Colors comes across as being deliciously weird, horrifying, and enthralling. If you can stomach the guttural vocals and metalcore brute, Colors is definitely worth giving a listen to.
18-Sep-2007