Rosesdead

Ontario local metal is a booming scene, especially in Southern Ontario. Bands spew out of this spawning pool, most come and go while others linger on. But some make it big, such as Protest the Hero. Rosesdead are one of these bands, rocking out of Oakville, and going strong with their unique sound. I cannot get enough of the local Ontario action! There are so many innovative bands coming out around here right now, most of them unheard of. And being in the heart of it all getting to experience the constant waves of irregular sounds is sick. Personally I think that Southern Ontario is going to have one booming worldwide musical phenomenon. It will be just like the spots all over the world that are distinguished to their own music scenes. And bands such as Rosesdead are tearing it up and shaping what is to come.

Let’s get into it then shall we? Rosesdead have this certain sound, with something that you just can’t put your finger on. It rocks hard with a melodic and tech blend. The songs keep the similar feel with difference along with it. The easiest metaphor to this idea is like a video game… I know, obscure but bear with me. In a video game, you always know that no matter what conditions, it’s the game. The band keeps a similar feel. You always know that no matter what you are hearing by them, it’s always inside the Rosesdead realm.

In-song transitions are ridiculously good as well. They merge the start and end sounds together as easy as a hot knife through butter. The overall sound on the album is mastered well… everything is very clear from drum tracking to vocals. Stages has to be one of my favorite albums of 2006 so far. The album exceeds the normal standards of what defines a decent album. This includes a clear sound, clear vocals without an annoying voice, and of course a band that can shred their asses off.

The lyrics themselves… there is a lot to be said about them. To sum it up as simple as possible, they are so complex it works. From my standpoint at least, a technical band should have technical lyrics. And Rosesdead for sure keep true to that. With that said, the lyrics have meaning to each song. It is not run of the mill to the point “I got dumped” songs. It makes you think more on the meaning of each song, which I think is a very good thing.

My favorite songs on Stages are “Balance” and “Night Danger.” Also both are for the same reasons. Both share the same technical aspects with normal playing to transitions as well. The singing gets me going along with them. They have certain parts that loop the singing where you cannot help but get caught singing them.

Stages, by Rosesdead just dropped this year, but I already can’t wait for the next album to be released. It had awesome recording, along with good vocals and mixing. I give this album a solid 7.5/10. It killed, go to a local show when they play and pick up this album up!  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Structure
02. All the Same: All Different
03. Wake in the Water
04. Falling and Failing
05. Night Danger
06. Now, This Feels Like the End
07. Starting from Sand
08. Balance
09. Break in the Clouds
10. Confluence (Of Forces)
11. Surface

Run Time: 40:14