One of my favorite albums of 2022 was Centershift’s A Different Shade Of Color. It’s one of those albums (notice how I said ALBUM) that takes you on quite the journey musically, lyrically and tells a pretty potent story. The way the album flows, gets into the nitty gritty of life and all its trials and tribulations. I have a few favorites off the album but, there is one song in particular that I’ve had a deep affinity for and that is the closing track, “Fade Away.” Through the darkness of this song and the lyrics, you find a sense of hope and light within that connects on a deeper level. “Fade Away” is one of those songs that will sit with you and make you contemplate life and how you can get through the moments that can tend to keep you down. The visualizer for this song is absolutely stunning and it takes the song to another dimension as you are captivated by the way the music, lyrics, melody and visuals encompass everything. Enjoy this!
I’ve come across some good tunes over the past couple weeks that I’d like to share with you. There’s something here from so many different genres which makes this even more fun. Take a listen to these jams and let me know what you dig! Enjoy!
01) The Baby Goats- Two Shakes: I’m really digging on this band. I’ve seen them a few times at The Cobalt Presents shows and they are pretty damn fun and awesome. I love that they embrace the 80’s new wave sound and add a little something else to it to give it a bit more charm. Their live show is quite fun as well. By the middle of the first song, you can’t help a little foot tapping or head bobbing. It’s catchy, infectious and fun! Definitely check THE BABY GOATS out!
02) Groundstate- Floating Away: The 2000’s nu-metal era is starting to make a bit of a come back. I keep hearing a lot of bands trying to embrace a sound that quite frankly got convoluted and over-saturated by generic crap. Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of bands from that era we want to forget. One band that I’ve heard most recently is Groundstate. These guys have been able to take the best parts of that era and mix it in with a bit of 90’s alt rock and the end result is pretty good. Their sound is definitely reminiscent of that time so it does strike a nostalgic chord with me. Check it out!
03) Ghost- Spillways (featuring Joe Elliot of Def Leppard): Ghost is one of those bands you either like or don’t. I happen to like it. It’s just fun and totally over the top in a good way. This track with Joe Elliot sounds straight out of the 80’s around the time that Def Leppard’s Hysteria was on top of the charts and they were one of the biggest bands in the world. There’s so much seriousness in the world that a band like Ghost is perfect to let you forget about all that and just have fun!
04) Metallica- Screaming Suicide: I don’t know about you all but, I’m excited for a new Metallica album. They’ve been an all time favorite of mine since I was 4 years old and that is never going to change! This second single they’ve released “Screaming Suicide” is pretty damm good. It has some cool throwback moments to their early years, a bit of the bluesy sound from Load and still a kick ass attitude compliments of James Hetfield’s vocals and lyrics. James is seriously one of the most underrated writers (both musically and lyrically). I can’t wait to hear this song live. I have a feeling this one will be quite explosive when they hit the road
05) Seven 40 Seven- On and On: Seven 40 Seven is another band that I’ve seen at a few of The Cobalt Presents shows. These guys are a straight up rock n roll band. Solid songs and a really fun live show to top it off. A band like Seven 40 Seven is much needed in the music landscape now. I’m so tired of all these laptop rock bands. These guys are just here to rock with no frills or filler, just rock!
06) Turbid North- The Decline: I recently came across this band and I fully dig on this! It’s badass and rad! This is their first album in over 7 years. They have a sound that combines space-rock, doom, and at times full-blast death-grind and all together it’s hypnotic and brutal!. Think about it as though Black Sabbath met Failure and then somehow Napalm Death and Kyuss all merged to form a band. I’m looking forward to Turbid North hitting Los Angeles. I need to see this live!
07) Vanishment- No More Torture: I was recently introduced to the band Vanishment and I am totally into it. It’s parts, thrash metal, speed metal, NWOBHM, and even a little bit of a stoner metal vibe. This band is comprised of former/current members of Pacific Northwest bands like Himsa, Hell Promise, Heiress, Lair of the Minotaur, Trial, North American Bison and more. The combination of all these influences coming together like this is pretty damn good! I for one am stoked to hear more from Vanishment!
08) MAL- Ritual: MAL is one band that I’ve been following for quite some time. I love this band. They bring a really cool take on 90’s rock mixed with prog to make something that stands on it’s own merit and then some. They really know how to cut deep with the way they write songs. One moment you can be head banging away at a part of a song and then next thing you find yourself swaying in a cool trance as all the elements they have come together. Live they are something else too. It’s an experience when you listen and see MAL. They are another band that have played many Cobalt Presents shows and each time they play, I never want it to end. Check Out MAL!!!
09) Centershift- Fade Away: I love this song. It’s so damn good. It’s one of those tracks that when you hear it in the context of their album, it ties it all together beautifully. It’s deep, a little dark and yet full of hope in a very cool and interesting way. Centershift released their debut album, A Different Shade Of Color in late 2022. It’s one of those albums that takes you on quite a journey, as an album should. The track “Fade Away” is exquisite and a really good representation of what the band brings to the table! If you haven’t heard Centershift, you should probably fix that!
10) Bush- Kiss Me When I’m Dead: I seriously can’t get enough of the new Bush album, The Art Of Survival. It’s really, really, really good. I’m not messing around. This album and their previous one, The Kingdom, has the band back on track and have delivered an album that stands up with Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase. There’s a ton of songs on the new album that I could pick to show you. This one “Kiss Me When I’m Dead” though, every time I hear it when I put the album on, I can’t help but turn the volume up a little more and sing along. It’s such a good song! Well done Gavin!
The art of the album has been lost in recent years. Everyone seems so focused on the “single” that the lost art of making an actual album has sort of gone by the wayside. That’s not the case for the band and album I’m about to talk about. You’ve heard me talk a lot about Centershift in the past year and rightfully so. This band is making strides to not only become one of your favorites but, also took the time to really make an album that from start to finish you feel it all. Every ounce of emotion poured into one fantastical ride through the trials and tribulations of life and this is only their first full length album. Centershift’s debut album, A Different Shade Of Color marks a triumphant return of making great albums.
The release of A Different Shade Of Color was put out in parts/EP’s in order to get parts of the story a little at a time and make you wonder where the next part will take you. The first seven songs present a very raw and emotional context to where the story takes you. Starting with “9” the story begins with a revelation of one’s self and the search for a new discovery but, before that can fully happen, the whole story must be told. As “My Own World” starts to take shape, you the listener start to get immersed into what is happening. As the album continues and flows, more of the story comes out as songs like “Dry Well, “Tell Me,” “Couldn’t Tell,” and “Kingdoms” all fit a balance that have a fury to them that while still melodic, brings out a heaviness both lyrically and musically that grabs you and sinks it’s claws in. With those claws sharply dug in, the journey continues with a bit of an epiphany with the song “And So.” This track leads you down another interesting road as the story unwinds a bit and goes through all the phases one might go through when dealing with a volitile situation or grief. The stages you go through during those times come out quite present on songs like “From Where We Are,” “Falling Into,” “Arise,” and the very deep and dark “Everything And Nothing,” The latter being quite the mini epic that will give you chills in a way that you can only feel by listening. Rounding out this chapter is “What If” a song that leaves you with a question while at the same time sets up the final chapter. “After All” kicks off the third act and signals the change and the light starts to shine a bit brighter. While “1014” delivers a bit of a kick to the head of positivity that reminds you to let the past go and enjoy the life and light that has begun. “Here Like Always” is one of those songs that gives you hope but also has a sensitivity to it that shines like the sun finally coming out after a cloudy day. The ending song of the album “Fade Away” brings it all together, recapping the whole journey but instead of falling backwards and back into the dark, the fading away into the light brings that new joy and life that “9” brought about to start the whole album off.
A Different Shade Of Color is an album not just for 2022 it’s one of those albums that is much needed in today’s musical world. The way this album flows and hits you is spine tingling and eye opening. The album provides hope and choices without the sense of giving up. Singer/Guitarist Jasan Radford’s voice is still top notch and the way he delivers the lyrics are astounding. The clarity and enunciation of the words make them stand out when it matters most. Guitarist Ryan Shane Stuber adds so much texture and balance to the songs with his style of playing. And the rhythm section of bassist Ted Wenri and drummer(s) Stefan Storace (and Michael Tarabotto who plays on certain songs) is thunderous and shattering without being too overtaking of the delicate melodies that ring throughout the songs. Also, having Jim Wirt (Incubus, Onesidezero, Fiona Apple) behind the boards and producing this album definitely helped to keep it as real and raw as possible.
I highly recommend this album to anyone and everyone. There are so many different moments and songs on the album that you will love instantly and others that will sneak up on you and hit you like a ton of bricks. One thing is for certain, Centershift made one of the most honest and pure albums of 2022. Over the past weekend as well, Centershift celebrated the release of the album with a Live Stream event. The concert was full of energy and excitement. The way the 4 of them connect on stage and throughout the songs shows that the chemistry between them is in full effect. I personally love the way that you can listen to the songs on the album and feel one way about them, then when you hear these songs live, they take on a new life. If you haven’t seen Centershift yet, that’s something else I strongly suggest you do! Cheers to Centershift on one hell of an album. One that not only they can stand tall and be proud of but, for those of us that long for an actual album that start to finish connects!
audioeclectica 