Theory Of A Deadman
Gasoline

THE REVIEW

Early 2000s, rock made in the USA makes a strong comeback, as evidenced by the critical and sales success of Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Audioslave, and others. However, the Canadian neighbors are not just standing by; concurrently with the musical/commercial phenomenon of Nickelback, there is the rise of Theory Of A Deadman.

The connection between the two bands is strong; it was indeed Nickelback’s leader Chad Kroeger who helped Tyler Connolly, songwriter and guitarist for Theory, to emerge from obscurity.

After the release of the self-titled "Theory Of A Deadman" and their collaboration on the Spiderman soundtrack "Hero" (with J. Scott of "Saliva" and Kroeger himself), Tyler Connolly and company release "Gasoline" in 2005. Despite the style leaning heavily on the typical post-grunge that is very popular these days, the Vancouver band shows they know what they're doing.

The opening track "Hating Hollywood" is energetic and gritty in sound, rebellious and anti-conformist in the lyrics (translate title). As you move through the tracks, the brilliant "Santa Monica" sounds like a superbly crafted super hit; Connolly sings about a lost love (a somewhat clichéd theme), still, maximum respect for the feelings.
For the rest, it’s noteworthy how the album recalls the Nickelback style, certainly with a rougher sound and a voice, Connolly's, even warmer and more engaging than his colleague's. Must-listen tracks include "Say Goodbye", "Me And My Girl" and the gritty "Save The Best For Least".

A note of demerit for Tyler Connolly: the lyrics are a tad monothematic (the shadow of his lost love, a supposed ex, hovers in "Santa Monica", "Say Goodbye", "Since You’ve Been Gone", and beyond), credit to the band in general: the album can be enjoyed by anyone, especially the people of Seattle who might dust off some lovely old memories.

Rock from the great prairies is yielding several good results, "Gasoline" is certainly one of the best.