THE NORTH - DISENGAGE (2014) USA

"Something wicked this way comes!" This was the feeling in 2013, when a band without a frontman and a frontman without a band, came together out of the dark. This first introduction might come to you as too excessive; but still, i like it! Ryan Sullivan, a vocalist without a band, playing acoustic sets and waiting to join the raiders of the apocalipse someday, met these raiders; a four piece band, consisted by Ted Kelliher (drums), Jamie Maguire (guitar), Dennis Harris (bass), and tenured LA guitarman Carlyle Crenshaw (lead guitar); last year in L.A., when they were looking for a leader to begin the mayhem.

Together, they began to solidify their ideas and as fast as a whirling blowing stronger from the north, the settled their business. They call themselves The North, and are now a five piece Hard rock band. Their sound comes like their name points, the north, Seattle and whereabouts. Yes, they are a hard rock\metal alternative band with flavours of the three biggest bands of the genre; Alice In Chains, SoundGarden and Pearl Jam; and of course, as they like to point out, their favorite, Led Zeppelin! 

What i see here, or better, what i listen here is a lot of experience and knowledge, a lot of dusty rooms and long roads leaving it's scars in the definition of these musicians qualities.

This should be an example to many of young wanna be's, sometimes when you're thirsty, drinking the whole water of the well ain't the answer, little sips at the time helps you come around faster than you expect. If you are smart enough to understand this metaphore, well you have just done half way.

Released last May, this album contains great musicianship, fantastic sound, very well produced, well balanced and very well crafted songs; it's an amazing debut record. Many of you will say that this has nothing new, it's good but there's a lot of this going around. I beg to differ, there is a lot going around, that i agree, but with this musicianship and ability to create some fine tunes there aren't that much, in fact we lack of them. This is a first rate band! This kink of talent doesn't grow on trees, is incorporated with experience and hard work.

I am very pleased and honored to have the oportunity to give my opinion on this record and this new outfit, they are amazing! Although i believe they are the perfect substitutes for Pearl Jam, i also have the certainty that they are going to be so much more than that. The lead guitarrist has amazing moments; while listen you just crave for more, he makes you wonder through fields of notes and lines, like wheat dancing with the wind on the wheatfields.

Concerning the songs, lirically the tend to discribe society and it's flaws, loneliness, struggles to make choices in life, or reavaluations of them. Sometimes it's a sad record, reaching mourning of poor choices, but thats a way of seeing life.

Coming From L.A., i supposed an other kind of work, but hey, good ideas come from everywhere. I am not a fan of Grunge, in fact i hate it, and by these days there's a growing number of new acts trying to resurface some good moments of this genre; updated of course, but still, like the movement itself, not effective. By other hand, the three major stars of the alternative movement; wich i truely like; are still on the make, alone or still together, they live on; and it's great to hear that replacements are coming to carry the torch through the dark ways of melancholic lives.

hope The North make it big, they're that good. Just listen and you'll see.

McLeod Has Spoken!
P.S.: Support the band by bying this record, if you like it.

Tracklist:

01. Say What You Will

02. Pieces Of The Sky

03. No More

04. Who Have I Become

05. Thief In The Night

06. Disengage

07. Staring At Your Picture

08. Etched In Stone

09. Long GoodBye

Band:

Ryan Sullivan (Vocals)

Ted Kelliher (drums) 

Jamie Maguire (guitar) 

Dennis Harris (bass) 

Carlyle Crenshaw (lead guitar)