| Over the years we have received a lot of reviews from magazines, newspapers and websites. Here are some excerpts from a few of them... |
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A Breath of October "... "Empty
Shell" draws lyrical composition design from excellent artists such
as This Mortal Coil. "Tea for the Sleepless" captivates
with a steady melodic flow and matching vocals approaching darkwave /
ambient minimalism. "Pure" introduces more passionate, exuberant
vocals, unleashing more aggressive lines of emotion over syncopated guitar
accompaniment. "On with the Show" opens with more of the
beautiful guitar work characteristic of A Breath of October." "...Summerlin's bass
propels most of the compositions which are rounded out quite nicely by
Holly Williams' guitar, keyboards by Brandi Byrum and the steady drumming
of Soumen Talukder...The band really hits stride on "Pure," a
macabre 12-minute masterpiece that could have come straight out of
Scandinavia where this sound thrives."
Sounds From the Gathering "Cobweb Strange has
matured considerably with "Sounds From the Gathering"".
Stylistically, they take a refreshingly accessible approach to
psych-influenced rock, adding a very slight touch of jazz...I really dug
how the 11-minute "Sometimes the Shine Just Fades Away" shifted
directions over lengthy instrumental passages, with Derik Rinehart's busy
drums and Wade Summerlin's loping bass lines always in the foreground...Summerlin's
vocals adopt a Jim Morrison-like inflection ("Solitude & the
Hollow Promise") when he favors the lower registers, enhancing the
band's darkly impressionistic lyricisms." "The only fair comparison that could be made is King Crimson, complex music with fascinating vocals, rhythms and melodies, changing constantly. 'Sounds from the Gathering' explores new directions within the progressive genre; it has a mellow feel to it and often slides into long almost psychedelic parts.
The album consists of eight songs with a total playtime of 50 minutes,
performed by this trio. Producer is Wade Summerlin, who also does the bass
work and vocals. The brothers Derik and Keith Rinehart plays the drums and
the electric guitars. The 10-minute long 'Sometimes the Shine Just Fades Away' seems like 6 songs in one, amusing, taking unexpected turns. The rhythm section, especially the bass-lines, never follows a single pattern, as progressive as it can get. 'I'd Give Everything', 'Thirteen', '…As the Sky Crumbles', 'Solitude & the Hollow Promise' and 'A Cup to Catch the Silence' follows, all great songs. This disc brings you back to the seventies progressive rock but in a new outfit, so to speak. Cobweb Strange is a band we will hear more of." To go directly to the page
with the review, CLICK
HERE The Progressive Rock Radio Network has included a page about Cobweb Strange. Most of the information and all of the photos there can also be found on the Cobweb Strange site, but PRRN has audio from "Sounds From the Gathering" that is not here. To visit their site, click here: Progressive Rock Radio Network
The Temptation of Successive Hours "...Cobweb Strange showed what a great
and talented trio they are... I was most impressed with the complexity of
their music and their ability to recreate live what they have achieved on
their album..." "On Atlanta Based Cobweb Strange's new
CD, The Temptation of Successive Hours, you can hear traces of Pink Floyd
and Dream Theater...The three-piece band's instrumentation of guitar, bass
and drums conjures up comparisons to other "Power Trios" like
Rush, with the bass used as a primary instrument, not just rhythm." "...intricate, lyrical, progressive
psychedelia influenced by King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Rush, Pink Floyd and
Yes." "Eric Johnson immediately comes to
mind with lead guitarist Burke's phrasing
approach..."Temptation" is well mixed...Rinehart's drumming is
crisp with concise emphasis placed on the top part of the set... Vocally,
Wade is somewhere between Lou Reed and Randy California... The masterpiece
on the disc is the seven-minute-long 'Astral Projection' divided into four
parts with the ending section and 'The Nothing Beyond Time' as the
denouement of the disc. In summary, Cobweb Strange aren't really strange,
dark or creepy. They just have a different angle of direction than any
other modern musicians seeking to establish their own identity." "...Cobweb Strange, a power trio that
knows how to jam." "Cobweb Strange is a promising new
band from Atlanta that plays alternately fiery and haunting psychedelic
rock, suggesting a head-on collision between the Doors and Iron Maiden...Summerlin's
bass and Burke's guitar are tightly arranged, lending a semi-symphonic
foundation to the dark forebodings of Summerlin's lyrical fare... An
effective piece of neo-psychedelia from a young group that should go
far."
"...progressive art rock
& jazz with a modern edge." "I have seen few bands
with the instrumental dexterity and songwriting ability of Cobweb
Strange."
Other Random Stuff Below are a few links to sites with reviews of Cobweb Strange albums or interviews with band members: Prog Visions (An interview with Cobweb Strange is in the interview section) Progressive World (There are several Cobweb Strange reviews on this site) Caladan (Hey, even the Beatles got bad reviews! This one isn't really bad, but I don't think we're their kind of band.) |