Ton Of Bricks

Ton Of Bricks

Independent Release, 1992

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/27/1998

For anyone who thinks that the heavy metal scene is dead, all they need to do is check the club scenes, where hundreds of bands slug it out each night, trying to make a name for themselves.

Joliet, Illinois-based Ton Of Bricks is such a band, though if their recent demo release is any indication of their potential, they should be getting a chance at the spotlight sometime soon. This four-piece (who I first read about in one of the metal newsgroups) successfully took on harder, harmonic rock and aggressive metal and were able to do very well with each genre.

Made up of vocalist/guitarist Dave Adams, drummer Ron Bailey, bassist Gregg Bambule and guitarist Dan Karabaic, Ton Of Bricks first goes after the listener's spinal cord with numbers like "Pummeled" and "Pain Inside". While there are the traditional signs of a young band still jelling as a cohesive unit (there are times on "Pummeled" where it sounds like the band slows down the pace a notch or two accidentally), the maturity of the songwriting and the instrumental work is admirable. (If the band has anything they need to work on, though, it's harmony vocals; it was rather annoying to hear the band singing the exact same notes that Adams did. You can harmonize and be aggressive.)my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

And there are some moments where the music might seem like formula metal from the '80s, but the strength of the musical performance on numbers like "Dancin' With The Devil" balance any weaknesses that might be present. Plus, other songs like "Conformity" and "Inside Out" erase any negative thoughts one might have of this band.

There's even a socially relevant track here on Ton Of Bricks. "Homeless" could be the strongest track on this disc, both in performance and lyric.

There are two unlisted tracks on this CD. The first, a live version of "Inside Out," blows away the studio version, proving that Ton Of Bricks must be an incredible band to see live. The second track consists of nothing more than 45 seconds of the band saying "Suck it," followed by 45 seconds of the band saying "Suck it" played backwards. It's kind of funny, but not the track you want to blare forth unexpectedly when trying to woo over a new girlfriend with your shiny stereo.

Ton Of Bricks obviously still have some maturing to do as a band, but that's just a fact of life for such a young band, and not a criticism of them. Likewise, they still have their dues to pay on the circuit. However, one well-placed CD of this band in the right hands could be the break they need - and I think that Ton Of Bricks could act as a key to unlock doors for the band. This could be the metal band to watch for at the approach of the millenium.

For more information about Ton Of Bricks, visit their Web page

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 1998 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Independent Release, and is used for informational purposes only.