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June 21, 2007

Music Review

Beyond Compare

Strong lyrics, powerful music creates unique sound

Story by: Cassie Smith

The Shorthorn Scene editor

— Courtesy art

The title of Project 86’s new album, Rival Factions, fits perfectly with the distinction of one song to the next, as two opposing forces joining as one.

Yet the title seems to presume more than a variation between songs. If the symbolism in the lyrics speaks at all, it speaks of the contrast between light and dark, good and evil.

Embracing new techniques and styles compared to its previous recordings, the band found a new way to make hard rock rock.

The CD begins with the smooth sound of Andrew Schwab’s voice in “Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)” as he seems to speak about an evil he describes as envy. The song seems to bear the weight of the artist’s burden with the envious tendencies in mankind.

After a few good head-banging rock songs, the album makes a nice transition into “Molotov,” which shows the band’s soft-rock side. The song discusses a man’s voyage away from a life of emptiness and sorrow and those he leaves behind in the process: “I know they’ve swallowed it all, and they could never be full, and now they call me a fool for leaving?”

“Slaves to Liberty” discusses a beautiful relationship between two friends. One is broken, the other is saying “Just call on me.” While it may sound a bit cheesy, the intense guitar action and pounding vocals vibrating in your ears gives the song the strength the lyrics speak of.

“Pull Me Closer, Violent Dancer” slows the mood down considerably and portrays an almost eerie sound behind some hypnotic chorus-like lyrics. “Illuminate” takes on a strong religious tone. The lyrics are about shining a light on those who are still in the dark, whose “skeletons are burning eternal.”

“The Sanctuary Hum” is a beautiful song about corruption in a church and how it has hurt the innocent. You hear passion and disgust in Schwab’s voice as he sings, “Cry, girl. Become the wails of voices unheard.”

The CD closes with “Normandy,” a symbolic story of two lovers, one of whom just died, and who they were compared to how the world saw them.

Rival Factions is more than just a good listen. The band produced meaningful lyrics unlike anything you’ll ever hear on the radio.