Saturday, April 28, 2012

Otherwise: Making Dreams A Reality On Debut Album

What do you think of when someone mentions Las Vegas to you? Gambling? Neon lights? Partying? Living in excess? Well, to the band Otherwise, Las Vegas is their home and it’s where they planted their feet firmly and started to chase their dream. They’ve been through a lot of trials and tribulations to get to where they are today and it seems to be finally paying off.

Their debut album True Love Never Dies is about to be released on their new home Century Media Records. If lead singer Adrian Patrick looks or sounds familiar, then it may be because he sang on the song “The Promise” with Maria Brink and In This Moment. Now, they’re about to prove to all that sticking to your dreams and working hard is more than just a cliché in the music industry. These guys are a prime example of living the dream.

The album opens with “Die for You”, a song about that one person in your life that you’re willing to lay it all on the line for. It definitely sets a tone of urgency on the album that holds through until the end. “Lighthouse” is another melodic rocker with a great hook. A great breakdown and guitar solo in the middle add a great layer to this number.

“Scream Now” has rock anthem written all over it from beginning guitar riff to the big scream along hook in the chorus. It’s a song to scream out to all of those important in your life, whether here or gone. “Vegas Girl” is a song that may just get the guys smacked when they go home to Vegas. Although it’s about a type of girl instead of one particular one, I am sure there are probably more than a few who think the song is about them.

“I Don’t Apologize (1000 Pictures)” is a song of pure poetic brilliance. It’s a hypnotic song that draws you in with its mellow arrangement and Adrian’s smooth vocal delivery. The guys have stated that it’s an anthem for the heart broken. It’s definitely one of the strongest songs on the album and could blow up big at radio given the right push. I guess time will tell, but I think it’s certainly one to keep your eye on.

What can I say about “Soldiers” that hasn’t been said before? Wow, this is a song that took on a life all its own. It’s been around for a hot minute and there are quite a few people who were already aware of this awesome song. It may have started out as a battle cry for what unsigned bands go through to make their dreams come true, but it grew into something else. It grew into an anthem for just about everyone because we are all soldiers in our own individual ways.

The album closes with the song “Heaven”, a powerful and emotional ballad with a guest vocal performance by Ashley Costello of New Year’s Day. A beautiful and powerful ballad that’s full of emotion and conviction. Ash’s vocals compliment Adrian’s really well and their voices mesh really well. I can see in my mind an arena full of lighters raised high to the sky during the performance of this song.

Overall, this is a very solid album from beginning to end. It’s really hard to believe that it’s a debut album because of the level of maturity throughout the entire thing. The songwriting is top notch and shows range and depth by going from songs of heartbreak to songs of positivity. Ryan Patrick and Vassilios Metropoulos are a deadly guitar duo and they know exactly when to pull back to keep the licks from becoming overkill. The rhythm unit of Flavio Ivan on bass and Corky Gainsford on drums is as solid as any unit that is out there. Lead singer Adrian Patrick just has one of those voices that stands out for many reasons. He has power and conviction and believability that transcends way beyond the parameters of a 3 ½ minute song.

The last six months of this band’s career has been a crazy ride. They lost their cousin, signed with a label, recorded their debut album and hit the road opening for Lacuna Coil. They’ve also been added to some of the biggest summer festivals including Carolina Rebellion, Rock on the Range and Rocklahoma. Check out their debut album True Love Never Dies and see just why these boys from Vegas are stirring up such a noise for themselves.

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