DownTheory – Invisible Empire
DownTheory – Invisible Empire CD (Spectra/MVD Audio)
Modern rock – for lack of a better term – is a tricky thing. Too much heaviness equates to zero accessibility. Too much accessibility may equate to a hit song or two, but also means zero street cred for eternity. DownTheory strike the perfect balance, and offer a refreshingly original take on the genre. The band hails from Jacksonville, Florida, best known for being the home of Southern Rock heavyweights Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot, .38 Special, and Molly Hatchet – but there is not a trace of Dixie in DownTheory’s music or lyrics. The closest I can come to comparisons is to reference either the always incredible Foo Fighters (but that’s not quite right) or the sorely missed and underrated Mindset (though that’s not quite right either). Vocalist Nick Lee is the marquee star here, at least to my ears. What a voice! He’s got a multi-octave range and displays both amazing creativity and much-appreciated restraint on the 12 songs that make up ‘Invisible Empire’, and by that I mean he never over-sings and never falls victim to the traps of doing screamo or cookie-monster parts, opting instead to unleash his emotions in a very real and effective way at every turn. Nick’s biggest asset is his band – guitarist H.M. Hall, bassist Derrick Gilrie, and drummer Scott King – who riff, rumble, and roll through each track with both grease and grace, every player doing his part to make up a collection of great songs without stepping on anyone else’s notes. If DownTheory has a hand in bringing back rock radio, I’ll actually start listening to the radio again. The Impaler
