by John Kindred
– Publisher —
The Jelly Jam is set to release its fourth studio album titled Profit. The band is a power-house trio that comprises King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor, Dream Theater bassist John Myung and Winger drummer Rod Morgenstein.
The group musically travels down many roads, continually evolving, morphing and transitioning the band’s sound. Those explorations began with the 2002 self-titled debut, 2004’s The Jelly Jam 2 and 2011’s Shall We Descend.
With Profit, the musical arrangements are tied together by the concept of The Prophet. As described by the band, the concept is “… a fight between progress and jobs at all cost and not thinking about any future payment that is going to have to be made.” Lyrically, we follow The Prophet, the hero of the story who embarks on a journey to “… try and save the world, aiming to open the eyes of those who will not see.”
In order to create the musical landscape of the album, the trio recorded a tremendous amount of music, which included a lot of experimentation. The band then pulled together 12 songs that, while individually different, cohesively create a strong musical sound bed for the story line.
The musical careers of the band members, from an individual standpoint, highlight a collection of diverse influences. From Progressive Metal and Rock, Jazz, Fusion, Hard Rock, Country Rock and Alternative genres, Myung, Tabor and Morgenstein collectively are a musical giant. And what could be potentially a cautionary hazard over indulgence, in turn, is a balanced creation of musical arrangements.
Of the three, Tabor’s influence is easily the most noticeable. Being a third of the awesome vocal harmonies created by King’s X, his influence in the band’s sound is quite obvious and can be heard with The Jelly Jam as well. The unique vocal harmonies and note selection must be part of his musical makeup. His guitar style also is easily discernable on each song throughout the album. Myung and Morgenstein provide the collaborative rhythmic pulse that is the driving force of each song. Unyielding, subtle and deliberate, the duo tempers its delivery when applicable and increases the intensity when the music calls for it.
The music on Profit has a spacey, Alternative vibe that yields to a heavy discourse of distorted guitars at times and always maintains a sublime musical balance. Each song is an opus in of itself, capturing the listeners’ attention and pulling them into the musical landscape.
At times, the journey is somber, with a not-so-picturesque view on the horizon. The music has a dark and complex vibe that draws the listener in with its haunting lyrics and melodies. The overall discourse of the lyrical concept of The Prophet finds the hearts of man hardened with eyes closed.
Genre: Progressive Rock, Rock
Band:
Ty Tabor (g)(v)
John Myung (b)
Rod Morgenstein (d)
Track Listing:
01. Care
02. Stain On The Sun
03. Water
04. Stop
05. Perfect Lines (Flyin’)
06. Mr. Man
07. Memphis
08. Ghost Town
09. Heaven
10. Permanent Hold
11. Fallen
12. Strong Belief
Label: Music Theories Recordings, Mascot Label Group
Web: http://www.thejellyjam.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10
