|
MediaBrent Doerner's DECIBEL, March 10, Edelweiss Tavern, Kitchener ON
It was only an hour ago, but it is already a blur.
Just after 9:30 pm, Brent Doerner's DECIBEL hit the stage at the Edelweiss with earthshaking volume. The three Gibsons of Shane Schedler, Ralph "Chick" Schumilas, and Brent himself were crystal clear and gelling beautifully. I can't even remember what song they opened with, but it might have been "Taking The Color Out Of The Blues", one of the best tracks from their debut CD. This was only their second "real" show, and the new lineup (featuring bassist Hilliard Walter and awesome skin-pounder Brian Doerner, fresh off a Saga tour) sounded hot. Most importantly, the pressures of playing to a hometown crowd didn't faze them at all, and they looked like they were having an awesome time.
Brent Doerner has evolved from Helix's lead gunslinger to a front man in his own right. I suppose if one is in a band for a decade and a half with a guy like Brian Vollmer, you're bound to learn something about being a front man. Yet Brent has his own style. He points to the crowd, he interacts with them, he slings his guitar to the side and sings to them. He hoists his guitar like a shotgun for emphasis, and does it all as if it's second nature. The guy is a natural, no doubts there.
All the best tunes from the CD were played, in effective order, along with four new ones. And let me tell ya, folks, these weary heavy-metal eardrums of mine rarely hear a song as good as "Maybe Love". The song has only been played twice, and the band is still working out the kinks, but could you tell? No, this song smoked, as more than one person in the audience noticed. As my fiancée noted on the way out, "that song was the single." And yes, indeed, if Decibel were to suddenly press up a slab of 7" vinyl, that would be the song to put on the A-side.
The show was not without technical problems, but the band overcame with lots of comedy courtesy of Brian Doerner, and a wicked impromptu drum solo from the rock god. In the dark. He couldn't have even seen what he was doing, but did that solo ever smoke. While some bands would view a blackout as a disaster, Decibel turned it into a rare chance to see a drum solo by one of Canada's-no, the WORLD'S-best stick-bashers. And he made sure that lots of people got complimentary sticks, too, which was really cool.
One of the many highlights of the show was Shane Schedler's vocal turn on "Never Turn Your Back". Not to be outdone, however, Hills Walter kicked out the jams on his vocal "Dancin' Frogs" featuring not a dancing frog, but a dancing blonde in a top hat, fishnets and Decibel panties. Sweet!
Such was the reaction from the crowd that Decibel was unexpectedly forced to retake the stage after they had already said goodnight. Having nothing else to play, they played "Taking The Color" one more time, this time with even more excitement. The crowd ate it up, every last morsel, and left very very satisfied.
You simply must see the band live. If you care about rock and roll, if you care about local artists, then you must see this band live. If you don't, you are the only one missing out.
Good show boys. See you next time, front row center.
Mike Ladano
About bdecibel Former HELIX guitarist-turned-"guitarpenter" (guitarist + carpenter) Brent Doerner and his new band DECIBEL are set to release their debut album. Armed with a three-guitar attack, this "blue collar rock" record is destined to be a sure-fire hit. A refreshing dose of hard rocking music for the working man. Doerner and Company are making music for themselves and not for some "suit". With a triple guitar attack and a tune featuring "The Best Damn Zamboni driver/singer in Canada!" you know it's not your average shit, it's the real deal. All the makings of a classic album are here, from the warm guitar tone to the groove set down by the rhythm section. This is a unique blend of Rock, Metal, Blues and Country pickin.. - all mixed together. Upbeat rockers like "Takin' the Color Outta Da Blooze" and "A Body for You" prominently feature Brent's whiskey soaked vocals. His raw singing style is perfectly suited to this kind of down and dirty rock. It adds an edge, not touched up in the studio with modern technology. You actually feel the music here and the emotion that made it. This is clearly a disc made from (and for) the love of music. The hard rocker "The Sum of 2 People" makes you just want to crank the hell out of the stereo after a long day at work, beer in hand. Can you say ..passion?.. The loose feel on the drums and bass leaves me with a Black Crowes feel. The guitar tone alone is worth the price of admission; it has that warm sound long lost in today's music world. The tongue and cheek "Stainless Steel Emotion" twists your ear, and the clean and distorted guitars mix well together make one truly great track. I particularly liked the ..voodoo.. lick, almost sounding like a pirate attack at times. The big surprise here is the overly catchy "Dancin' Frogs", which features Hilliard Walters on lead vocals .. done up .. old style. While different from the rest of the disc, it's a feel good tune party tune. It has that old ballroom swing aspect to it but beefed up for the times. It is a true modern-day classic. The previously mentioned "A Body for You" is a love song done Decibel style. "You've got a top hat style when you want INDEED"... It should have been called ..I'd Hide a Body for You... Sonically it is airy and roomy with a loose drum feel and unique fills. The groove is just perfect for this track and creates a memorable melody with some killer guitar work. Songs like "Breathe My Name" and "Never Turn Yer Back" are fantastic blues based rockers that have emotion, especially in the vocal department. Shane's vocal's on "Never Turn Yer Back" just grab you and reel you in with soul and meaning. Brent's twin brother, Brian (Saga/ex-Helix) makes an appearance on the disc and lays down his signature drum tracks on "Fire in the Bedroom". This song about a non-fatal attraction has a bit of the old Rockabilly vibe to it. The "Arena Rock" feel is present in "On Bended Knee" with it's big vocal's and Boston-esque guitar sound. A real power house track that will delight fans. In a time when a lot of artists follow a set formula, Brent Doerner's Decibel delivers a unique collection of songs that with an excellent mix of different styles, perfectly combined into one distinct package. Celtic Bob Online Since 1995 |