Band: James LaBrie
Release: Impermanent Resonance (Album)
Release Date: Out now
James LaBrie first started recording solo material back in 1999 under the name Mulmuzzler as a creative outlet. Although he’s been Dream Theater’s vocalist for 23 years now, he’s never had a strong creative input in the band – writing maybe a song or two per album.
After two releases with Mumuzzler he dropped that moniker and started producing material under his own name. Including the Mulmuzzler years, ‘Impermanent Resonance’ is his fifth solo full-length.
‘Impermanent Resonance’ was once again conceived together with LaBrie’s song-writing partner of over a dozen years, Matt Guillory, who also handled the keys and backing vocals on this offering. The record continues the eventful musical ride for all those who enjoyed the dynamic ‘Static Impulse’, combining the heaviness of progressive metal with all the catchiness of contemporary rock.
Stylistically, this solo material is a lot more hook-driven than anything produced by Dream Theater and to an extent the whole operation sounds a lot more mainstream – you won’t find any 10-minute epics on this release.
Those observations aside however, this record is exactly what you’d expect from someone with LaBrie’s experience and prog pedigree. The overall musicianship is extremely tight throughout. Peter Wildoer is a machine behind the kit (especially when it comes to delivering precise double pedal patterns) and Marco Sfogli’s fret work it note-perfect from start to finish.
High octane album-opener ‘Agony’ gets the record off to a stellar start, with its thrashy verse guitar licks and infectious chorus vocal line. This track sees LaBrie trading off vocals with Wildoer, who provides the screamed parts on the album.
Other impressive tracks include ‘Slight Of Hand’, which boasts a really groovy bass line courtesy of Ray Rindeua, and ‘Back On The Ground’, which catches you nicely by surprise with its acoustic intro section – the inclusion of soft, reflective passages on this record really helps provide a sense of musical variety. It’s the epic chorus in ‘Holding On’ though that really makes the hairs on your neck stand on end and provides the stand out moment on this record.
LaBrie himself delivers his vocal lines flawlessly, and for anyone who’s a fan of his voice that alone should be enough to recommend the album. As the record plays through he’s able to showcase his entire range and deliver some really varied performances.
With the next Dream Theater full-length already on the horizon you might expect this release to function as a sideshow while you wait for the main event, and to an extent you’d be right – although the music on ‘Impermanent Resonance‘ is consistently well-composed and performed, the album as a whole is lacking in stand-out moments that really make you pay attention.
That said though, this is a strong and varied offering that showcases LaBrie’s voice in all its glory. For that reason, it would be a great addition to any prog lover’s record collection.
7/10
Reviewer: Solomon Radley
