GOD FIRES MAN
"A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun"
(In De Goot; 2008)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
There are times on the well-titled "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun" that God Fires Man steps away from the typical alt-metal sound and gives us a flash of originality. Unfortunately, those times are vastly overrun by many other moments that sound pretty much like any other band in the genre.
"A Billion Balconies..." starts off with the decidedly standard "Braille Graffiti," but things look up considerably with the next track (and perhaps the best track on the CD), "Be Here Forever." Although the remaining tracks on the CD flash an occasional spark of freshness, none of them really caught me again like "Be Here Forever" did.
It's not for lack of talent. The musicians here play well and play with undeniable energy. Vocalist Arthur Shepherd uses his voice well, delivering a layered performance throughout the CD that is quite impressive.
In fact, the fault here may lie not with the band members but rather the genre of music they've chosen to pursue. Actually, if you like many of alt-rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine, you're probably going to like this CD and more power to you. If not, you'll probably find much of "A Billion Balconies Facing the Sun" simply more of the same.
God Fires Man: Arthur Shepherd - vocals/guitar/keyboard; Joseph Grillo - guitar/keyboard/vocals; Drew Thomas - drums; John Wilkinson - bass/keyboard.
For more information, check out http://www.godfiresman.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 13:45:57 -0500.
