Abandoned in the Stranger's Room is the debut double album from Syracuse, New York progressive rock act Epic Tantrum. Yes, you read that right, 'debut double album'. It's quite the bold statement to bust out of the gate on your debut album with something of this enormity, but Epic Tantrum are more than up for the challenge. The band are comprised of Peter (guitar, vocals), Paul (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Greg (bass, vocals), and Z (drums).
The first disc in this set is titled Abandoned, and features ten tracks of hard driving progressive rock with just a hint of heavy metal & jazz. "Outside the Wire" is an example of the band at their heaviest, sounding not unlike veteran band Tiles, with a hint of Rush and during the softer parts you can even detect some Steely Dan influence. Funky bass and layers of guitar textures complement some alluring vocals on the atmospheric "Letting Go", while the title track offers up tasty piano & synths, emotional vocal stylings, for a more symphonic prog style. Another highlight here is the rousing hard rock number "Fables of Fortune", chock full of aggressive guitar work and tight drumming, showing off the bands heavier side.
Disc two, labeled as In The Stranger's Room is a collection of live in the studio tracks (their studio is called The Stranger's Room), with the material culled from their previous demo releases as well as a few tracks from Abandoned. Fairly heavier than the Abandoned part of this release, here the songs take on a much more guitar centered sound, with "Baillee's Gone Again", "Franklin Park Blues", "Now I Know", "Drown", and "Accessory" cranking out some serious six-string heft. Even the couple of songs from Abandoned pack a bit more of a wallop on these 'live in the studio' versions, which leads me to believe that this band is a force to be reckoned with on stage.
Overall, some very promising stuff here from this new band on the scene. It's pretty clear that they've been honing their craft carefully & meticulously since their inception back in 2007, and the fruits of their labor are fully on display with Abandoned in the Stranger's Room. Check it out!
Track Listing
1. Don't Bother...(5:18)
2. Unfold (3:50)
3. Accessory (3:56)
4. Fables of Fortune (4:39)
5. Outside the Wire (5:49)
6. Into the Clutch (1:35)
7 Letting Go (6:50)
8. False Idols (3:55)
9. A Howling (5:20)
10. Abandoned (4:34)
11. Baillee's Gone Again (Live) (3:56)
12. Franklin Park Blues (Live) (4:33)
13. Letting Go (Live) (7:15)
14. Now I Know (Live) (5:39)
15. Accessory (Live) (3:46)
16. Fables of Fortune (Live) (5:21)
17. The Artist (Live) (5:00)
18. Don't Bother... (Live) (4:19)
19. Drown (Live) (4:12)
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