“Nothing’s As Real As It Seems” is the third album by alt metallers The World Will Burn. This transcontinental collaboration includes Dale Thompson on vocals, Alan Zaring on guitars and other instruments and Aaron Bushong on drums. There are also guest appearances by Troy Thompson (co-founder, Bride) and Tim Bushong, who produced the album.
I didn’t anticipate how groovy “Nothing’s As Real As It Seems” would be. Big guitars and bigger drums hit you on “Sins And Tragedies”, and Dale unleashes all kinds of fury on the mic. The care Tim took to balance all the elements deserves special mention. You’ll hear it in how Dale’s
voice, first singing and then screaming in the chorus fits despite the great differences in delivery.
The band sets a soulful, contemplative mood with the solo guitar that leads “Love and Life”, but breaks through any restraint in the first verse. I like this diversity, and I’m only two songs in! There’s a moody organ and vocalisations that push “Love and Life” off-kilter, like the world of the song is off balance. This sense of “nothing is as it seems” is brought into sharp focus later, in “Boxing Ring”. As I listen to the album, I am challenged by the lyrics. Why would no one believe in hell? Have we become as those who believe only in what the eye can see, and in what scientific experiments can measure?
What would we become if allowed to grow into our own passions? Lance King raises this tantalising question right off the bat in his second solo album, “ReProgram” that was released on 29 March 2019. His concern for the death of a child’s creativity is underscored in the music. I hear the dread in the volleys of driving kick drum and plaintive keyboards, while the guitars point accusatory fingers at a dystopian status quo where conformity trumps originality.
Whether fast and heavy or slow and atmospheric, this album is sure to please whether in a depressive or manic state. Great musicianship and excellent vocals, this album is great with a cup of joe to prepare yourself for a journey.
Neal Morse is a storied musician, having started his career as a member of Spock’s Beard in the nineties. He became a born-again Christian in 2002 and his religious convictions steered him on a path to start producing music infused with his faith. Neal has a prolific discography, and 2019 sees the release of his progressive rock musical, Jesus Christ the Exorcist. This double album has been 10 years in the making.