Tommy Flake
Bliss
Gonzo
Self-confessed “control freak” Tommy Flake handles most of the instruments on this heavy pop outing, and has come up with a forceful, dense sound that wouldn’t sound out of place in between Nine Inch Nails or King Crimson. Kinda diverse, this is. Definitely rooted in some form of prog rock, Flake reminds of later period Crimson (Belew-days) with songs like “Mary Magdelene,” a layered, driving rocker that opens the record. At other moments, he displays a great pop sense, with thousands of layered vocals and about ten tracks of guitar. It’s easy to imagine this music live – he creates the aura that a band brings to a recording, which is rare even on the best “self-made” attempts. Part of this is due to the great drum sound… usually the quickest tip-off of a “homebrew” are drums that sound like poorly miked coffee cans. No worries here – all in all, this is an impressive record.
