Tidal Wave
Tidal Wave

THE REVIEW

Here I am about to publish my first review on DeBaser, and, as I intend to do in the future as well, I am diving into the large category of emerging Italian bands that need promotion. So I present to you this ep/demo tape, "Tidal Wave", by the Roman band of the same name... and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by their sound.

The band indeed doesn’t set precise benchmarks nor limits itself to following genre clichés, creating a mix of metal, punk rock, alternative rock, grunge, and more. You might think it's the usual unlikely mishmash, but it’s not! Here, everything amazingly comes together, is simple and very singable, making it almost feel like a new genre of rock music! (indeed I found it a bit challenging to define them). Perhaps they are a bit commercial, it’s true, and musically, the band doesn’t seem to hide their intention to reach a much wider audience than the traditionally metal one... let's delve into the CD.

It starts with a short intro that very much resembles the acoustic parts of Metallica and leads us to Why?, which begins as a thrash metal punch with echoes of Alice in Chains, then opens up in the chorus to punk emo-flavored melodies... probably the best track on the record. With the following Bleed 4 This World (yes, written like that), the pace slows down for a song with a decidedly pop/rock flavor, absolutely enjoyable and well-arranged, though perhaps a bit predictable in some parts... it could work well as an MTV single. The third track, Tidal Wave, is the one that gives the band its name, and it really feels like facing a tidal wave, so overwhelming is this track, whose chorus will probably get stuck in your head (as it did to me)... for the next track, however, it returns to slower rhythms. Slippin' away, indeed, has the typical pace of a pop song, thus a very simple drum, bassline, and voice upfront with a single recurring riff throughout the song. Nonetheless, thanks to a clever arrangement work, it fully engrosses the listener for all its 4-minute duration, offering a central stadium break that will delight those still fond of eighties sounds... another hit!

With Like God on My Four Wheels instead, the band seems to "standardize", bringing out a song that closely recalls the current metalcore trend, hence swedish riffs, harmonized guitars, and a voice that in the chorus almost brushes hardcore scream while remaining clean. The final harmonization is fantastic. The last piece, Goodnight Sweet Summer, is the one that comes closest to nu-metal sounds with some emo reminiscence in the chorus... personally, it didn’t drive me crazy, but it’s a subjective judgment... objectively, the track is well-arranged and well-structured like the others, characterized by a nice bass line and good technique from all the members.

The production is fairly good, the individual musicians’ technique average for the genre... so what to say? A work to definitely keep an eye on, just as we should keep an eye on the future production of this band, which will surely refine their mistakes over time... we’ll see!

For those interested in learning more, www.myspace.com/t1d4lw4v3 (where you can hear some songs) and tidal.wave@email.it for those who want to contact the band members.