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crushermagazine.com
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Damn
Glad, And That's That!
(© 2003 Fachetzamerde
Music)
What ever happened to
the sensitive, soulful
side of rock n’
roll? I mean, it’s
never gone away, but amid
the koRns, the P.O.D.s
and Trapts of the world
and with the re-emergence
of shows such as MTV’s
Headbanger’s Ball,
softer, more emotionally-charged
(emotion other than anger,
anyhow) rock acts have
taken somewhat of a backseat.
Well, New York-based trio
Damn Glad is damn upset
about that and their debut
full-length CD, And That’s
That, is a damn good effort
at trying to bring their
brand of rock n’
roll back into peoples’
conscience.
Formed in 2002 by singer/guitarist/songwriter
Matt Kurzban, Damn Glad’s
resume is quite impressive,
including a slot at Woodstock
1999 (formerly known as
Immoral Fibres) and performances
on 2002’s Locobazooka
tour with Sevendust, Filter,
POD, Puddle Of Mudd and
many more. This CD, which
is saturated with driving
guitars, infectious grooves,
memorable melodies/harmonies
and introspective lyrics,
illustrates a band that’s
paid some dues and had
gained the maturity needed
to go on to the next level.
The opener, “Beat
of Monotony”, is
anything but. This song
could be best described
as ‘soul power classic
rock’, in that it’s
got elements of classic
Motown emotion and harmonies
mixed with slivers of
raw, earthy drumming and
chord progressions that
play well against each
other. Kurzban, who sounds
a bit like Ed Kowalski
of Live, unabashedly,
injects his own passion
that blends smoothly with
the song’s other
elements. “All Made
Up” is a kickin’
Led Zeppelin-esque track
that really shows off
Kurzban’s voice.
He’s even got some
of that Robert Plant flair
to him and the rest of
the band is right there
with him. I like how each
player doesn’t just
play their individual
part, but makes the effort
to play off of each other.
The guitar solo isn’t
the most outrageous you
will hear, but it fits
that laid-back mood of
the track just right.
Skipping ahead a little,
we come to the feel-good
song “Lighten The
Load”. Some of the
songs that precede it
are kinda edgy, so the
easy-listening country
vibe of “Lighten
The Load” will mellow
you out a little bit.
It’s got beautiful
melodies and harmonies
that are a real joy to
listen to. “Definitely
Maybe” has everything
going for it, though.
A contemporary rock song
that’s got impassioned,
brooding verses, edgy
bridges, killer riffs
and searing vocal delivery
that tugs at your emotions.
And That’s That
closes out with the anthem
“Moments Away”;
another song that’s
got all the burners on.
Having already proven
their mettle on the road,
Damn Glad needed one other
thing to show that its
ready to take the next
step. This album is it.
Everything that you’ve
heard about their live
performances has been
captured on this CD and
then some. Go out and
buy And That’s That.
You’ll be damn glad
than you did.----Eric
V. White
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