Feel Never Real : Vs. The Sea Of Disease
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Kick ass hard rock – Texas Style!
Gritty hard rock seems to be relatively rare these days. Everyone is going “progressive “ or “symphonic” or some such other. In the same way “alternative” has become mainstream, old school guitar rock has been eclipsed by the new sub-genres. Not so in Texas…
From out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area comes Feel Never Real, a trio who simply describes themselves as “3 guys lookin’ for a GOOD time.” Their latest release Vs. The Sea Of Disease is a seven-track melodic hard rock release that proves even old school can sound fresh. Formed back in 2004, the members of Feel Never Real have paid their dues on the club circuit and are gearing up for a run at the big time. Making music that is edgy and grungy, FNR should appeal to fans of almost any hard rock genre.
Tim Jones fronts the band and slings a solid guitar. He has a deep voice and occasionally gritty tone well suited to the music. Although he does not have a wide dynamic range, he stays within his comfort zone and delivers the goods. He is a good rhythm guitarist and as decent soloist, laying down some very catchy hooks without dominating the music or trying to come off as a “guitar god” wannabe.
Mathew Cass plays a great bass – he gallops along at full blast while being equally at home with softer blues rock bass lines. Shea Lange completes the trio, providing excellent and versatile drumming and working as true team member. In fact, the level of teamwork amongst the members of Feel Never Real is probably the band’s biggest strengths – they play like true veterans.
The album opens on a high with the rocking “Sea of Disease.” Jones’ deep and somber voice is able backed up by a wall of bass, drums and low register guitars, before cranking the energy up a bit. This track showcases all that is good about the band – solid songwriting, good singing, and fine musical performances all delivered with fire and intensity. A softer modern rock takes over with the conventional rocker “Always Over” – this track gives the bass and drums a chance to shine, and is quite probably features the best vocal performances, both lead and backing, on the release. “Drunkstar Anthem” is a pure glam-grunge party rocker that would make Motley Crue proud – extremely intense and obnoxious (in the best possible way). This track showcases the true raw musical talent and veteran teamwork of the band. “Good Enough” follows as a total change of pace with mellow acoustic riffs and great vocal performances – a very good modern blues based rock piece.
“Come Too Far” is a great intense blues rock track with great choppy guitars, good harmony vocals in the chorus and a hooky beat – this one would be a crowd pleaser and is the closest thing to an arena rocker in the band’s arsenal. Great drums, pounding bass, smoking guitars and growling vocals make the heavy “Less Hopeless” a modern metal masterpiece. The mellow “Anymore True” is a singer’s song, a blinding contrast to the preceding track and further demonstrates the immense musical versatility of the band.
Vs. The Sea Of Disease is nicely engineered to bring out the bluesy quality and warmth of Tim Jones’ voice and guitars while maintaining a crisp and clean sound that favors the bass and drums. All aspects of the recording are well done, and the band deserves kudos for doing a fine job with backing vocals – an often overlooked aspect of today’s rock. If there is a weakness here, it is tough to find. The one disappointment is that there are only seven relatively short songs here, but all are good songs and there is simply no fluff or filler…
Overall, Vs. The Sea Of Disease is a solid effort, blending elements of many “classic” genres with a touch of modern edge. The variety of styles seem to complement each other, melding together rather than jarring the listener – it all flows. Big sounds, catchy melodies, solid performances and enthusiastic delivery show that Feel Never Real is for real and more than ready for mainstream acceptance. Recommended for anyone who wants to rock! Pop open a brew and enjoy.
Genre: Hard Rock
Band:
Tim Jones (vocals, guitar)
Mathew Cass (bass)
Shea Lange (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Sea Of Disease
2. Always Over
3. Drunkstar Anthem
4. Good Enough
5. Come Too Far
6. Less Hopeless
7. Anymore True
Label: Unsigned
Website: http://www.feelneverreal.net/ , http://www.myspace.com/feelneverrealmusic
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10