Thru Never Ending Black
Independent release, 2012
REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/09/2012
It took longer than it should have to listen to this entire release. Before I heard a note from multi-instrumentalist David J Caron, I was totally intimidated. I looked at 28 songs in Windows Media Player and its calculation that, for the next two hours, Caron’s vision, whatever it is (remember, this is before hearing a note), would be taking over my ears and brain.
And then I started listening. This is a release that I will go out of my way to listen to repeatedly, though it’s not going to replace my steady diet of Bayside, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, T&N (3/4ths of the ‘classic’ Dokken lineup), or 3 Pill Morning. I find myself drawing comparisons to either the Use Your Illusion albums from Gun ‘N’ Roses or the Load/Re-Load albums from Metallica. Similarly, those releases contain a wealth of material, but I don’t remember ever sitting down and listening to them start to finish very often. I call them “purge” releases, where both Guns ‘N’ Roses and Metallica wrote a lot of material and wanted to get it out. It’s the same thing with these 28 songs. I have no doubt that each song was painstakingly constructed, from the variations of the drumbeats to the riffs. I sense that each song is a “baby” to Caron and it would be difficult to favor one song over another.
I had to get over two preconceived ideas as I listened. First, I didn’t have a lot of faith that Caron would be able to take the loose idea of “outer space” and twist the theme into material that would please my ears. I thought it would be like trying to cram a theme down my throat and that, before long, I would tire of the efforts. Taking a step back, though, if you listen to this release and absorb Caron’s idiosyncrasies, you will smile.
And the second point is the lyrics. Throughout the 28 tracks, there’s a general pattern that you’ll either love or hate. Caron likes to rhyme. He rhymes in what is referred to as an ABAB rhyme scheme. This starts right away with the opener “It Gathers.” And there’s a point early on where you realize that if he sings, “Walk in the rain / You’ll only get wetter” is not the best you’ll get, but it’s damn close. After the airy intro, the searing guitar riff begins with the drumbeat propelling the tune. The guitar solo at 4:30 is short and effective. The bass riff provides a solid foundation for Caron’s vocals. And that’s par for this course. When you reach track 27 and hear “The Tree That Waits” and hear lyrics that rhyme “trees” with “knees,” you will be fully entrenched into that pattern. It is a small dose of novacaine to hear the ABAB rhyme scheme for over two hours.
Caron is a talented artist. Vocally, he doesn’t strain to hit notes outside of his range. He constructs interesting parts for all the instruments. “Time Machine” in particular is an exceptional track. I also found myself returning to “Too Much Little Time” because of its tempo.
This album is not for everyone but it is impressive. It makes no apologies for its content, and it is long, requiring your investment in Caron’s vision. But, dear reader, if you invest the time, you will be rewarded with a smile and a foot that starts tapping without your knowledge.