TUB rINGs most accesible work to date older fans maybe upse
themusicfiend | Florida | 05/04/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Gone is the tUB rING your parents used to listen to. Gone is the original spark of the band that I found like no other. In replace of the wackiness of previous albums tUB rING has released 'The Great Filter' which in my opinion is their most straight foward and weakest offering to date. With a new record company(The End Records) a new guitarist, bassist and drummer on board the chemistry has changed within the band and it is clear to say that 'The Great Filter' does fall short of anything amazing. The band just feels and sounds so different now. Co-produced and mostly written by keyboardist Rob Kleiner with additional lyrics by vocalist Kevin Gibson 'The Great Filter' seems a bit one dimensional and lackluster. But ofcourse it is still better than 90% of what is on rock radio these days. So for some this might be refreshing and interesting but as for me and others who have followed the band 'The Great Filter' pales in comparison to previous efforts."
Fun record, but long-time fans will agree it is Tub Ring's w
EerieVonEvil | The Rabbit Hole | 05/02/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well, what can I say about Tub Ring this far into the future? They are probably still one of the most memorable and original bands in the current music scene as was their long-time friends and tour-mates Dog Fashion Disco. Unfortunatley DFD is gone but Tub Ring has resurfaced with a new record to follow-up the fantastic Optics and Sonics release(see also my review for that release). First, the differences. Original bassist Jason Fields is gone and that is a HUGE hit. Most of the songwriting started with him because he is an amazing bass player. Vocalist Kevin Gibson is the only original member left in the band, although keyboard guru Rob Kleiner has been in the band for ten years now and definitely adds a lot. Former guitarist Shawn Sprinkel also left a couple years back and the drummer seat has been revolving for some time as well. So we have three new guys in the band: Bassist Tevor Erb, Guitarist Jeff Enokian, and drummer Chris Wiken. They are great players and their playing on this album is solid. You wouldn't know right away that they were new because their styles are similar to Tub Ring's past players, although Trevor does not play as crazy and intricate as Kevin did on bass. The production on the record is so-so. It seems the keyboards and the drums got the most love on here, as the vocals, guitar, and bass seem to be pretty low in the mix at certain spots. Definitely a raw feeling to the record. It should also be noted that Rob Kleiner produced this record. So, as far as the songs on The Great Filter go...Its a mixed bag. Now if you are a long-time Tub Ring fan then you know that the band has always had pop sensibilities in the vocals, but Kevin always mixed it up in the same songs by adding screams, yells, and other quirky vocal tricks. I'd have to say that some of the songs on here are a little too "friendly" and "safe" for even Tub Ring's style. By that I mean that some of these songs are catchy in a radio-pop kinda way. There is still some aggressive singing on here, but it is few and far between now. This new incarnation of Tub Ring is very melodic and some of the vocals are hard to get used to(see Charismatic Smile and Killers In Love). If you like some of that awful emo racket or any current radio favs you will prolly find something on here to like, and it pains me to say that. Now the music. The music is AWESOME! I like that the songs are very dramatic at times, with a lot of piano and even some trumpets/horns. There are some songs that have very sinister guitar in it too. If you liked how Zoo Hypothesis sounded musically then you will love this. Overall, if you are a Tub Ring fan I do recommend this album, but beware because it is extremely different. It is no longer relevant to compare the band to Mr. Bungle or Faith No More because the music on The Great Filter is miles away from what those bands were doing. The Great Filter is very modern, and with that comes high and low points. Gone is the insane bass-driven chaotic break-neck speed the band had been known for since the Super Sci-Fi Samurai Rockstar album. It is very melodic and even pop at some points. However, don't let this turn you off completely because it is still a fun record and worth repeated listens. I just think albums like Drake Equation and Zoo Hypothesis are way better from a creative standpoint. I recommend you track down their first two full-lengths The Mashed Potato Mountain Etiquette and Super Sci-Fi Samurai Rockstar Turb0 II Ver 3.6 because they are crazy good albums. Everything from Drake Equation to the Great Filter is easily available. Get The Great Filter if you consider yourself a fan at all. Enjoy"
