Contrarian

The very Kansas-like vibe of opening tune “Operation Overlord” – a homage to Allied forces who fought the World War II battle of Normandy – does a great job of introducing Contrarian's potential as a hard-rocking progressive band. Kudos to guest violinist Lance Cockrell, a nice melody and ballsy arranging.

From there, this New Jersey trio of Joseph Leming (vocals), Timothy Boney (guitars, keyboards) and Michael White (drums) reels off mostly straight-ahead hard rockers with symphonic embellishment. The 10 minutes “Fear and Trembling” has some nice changes and great solo guitar/synth work by Boney, while the likes of “Barricades,”Just Doing Time,” “Another Day,” “Stand or Fall,” etc., follow a melodic hard-rock path fit for Saturday night barroom revelry.

In all comes back to Leming, whose incredibly powerful voice pushes Contrarian into the realms of Iron Maiden, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Boney is the progressive counterweight, reminding us via jaw-dropping instrumental breaks on “Sanguine Bells,”
With lyrical themes inspired by Plato, Nietzche and Kierkegaard, there obviously are points to ponder amidst Contrarian's kick-ass tunesmithing. - Progression

Review by H.T. Riekels, ProgArchives.com - Wide eyed, and eager, I arrived at NEARfest 2007. This was my first prog festival. It was early, and I had a great opportunity to visit the various vending tables before the crowd grew. I knew there would be the various music stores represented, artists, and the bands playing on the main stage. What I did not know was that other bands would reserve space to promote themselves. The first such table I happened upon was for Contrarian, a band I had never heard of. This actually makes sense (as I would come to find out later), because their debut album had just been released that week. I listened to a bit of the music, and introduced myself to the man at the table. Tim Boney and I spoke a bit, and to my surprise, learned that he was unaware of Prog Archives. More people were coming around, so we decided to talk again later. When we spoke again, we began to build a rapport. He had great ideas about making intellectual music. He also happened to be a very friendly guy. With my interest in his music, and his interest in P.A., he armed me with a copy of Minor Complexities. There are always details to be worked out when launching a new project, so we waited till all the pieces were in place before adding Contrarian to P.A.

During the initial evaluation, it was hard to figure out exactly where to place this band. There is definitely a modern symphonic component, but it also draws heavily on hard rock from the '70s. At that time, there was no Heavy Prog sub- genre, so we decided Symphonic would be best. When I was finally able to get the addition done, it struck me that Heavy Prog would probably be a better fit. At this point (finally), some idea of what the music is like should be forming.

So, what is it exactly that we have here? At first glance, it might seem like an homage to '70s hard rock. You can hear some Styx, and Kansas, but only if the guitars had been much heavier. So, there is a bit of a metal component as well. Joe Leming sounds like he stepped right out of a time machine from the mid '70s. He actually sounds quite a bit like the singer from Triumph (can't remember if it's Emmett or Moore), with perhaps a bit of Steve Walsh, and a touch of Ronnie James Dio thrown in.

Once you dig a little deeper, you see that there is much more to this. The complexity begins to unfold as you notice they have nicely incorporated violin on some of the tracks. Then you notice that there are moments that almost remind you of something Les Claypool, or Gentle Giant might do. As it unfolds, the melodic keyboards, modern symphonic techniques, and insightful lyrics begin to attract attention. There are also some slower, almost ballad moments. It is all put together seamlessly. This is a polished act. It should be, as it took several years to complete. It is also impressive how three guys make this sound like a much larger band. In fact, the band did have to increase its numbers in order to play live.

With all that is going on, it is still the remembrance of '70s hard rock that is the primary flavor of Contrarian. It is very well done, but that style has lost much of its appeal to me over the years. I rarely find myself listening to the rock classics of that era anymore, and I never was a big Kansas fan. But, that doesn't mean it's not good. I think it's mainly the vocal style. Joe Leming has a terrific voice, but I just prefer a bit more subtlety these days. The lyrics are also thought provoking, and intended to be that way. The subject matter has a lot of depth. All the musicians definitely know their way around their instruments. The guitar is especially ripping. If this sounds like something you would be into, then go for it. I give it a 3.5 rating, and am happy to round it up to four. - Progarchives

Review by Tim Jones, Music Street Journal - Minor Complexities is the debut album from Contrarian, a band out of New Jersey. The group was put together by Tim Boney (guitars, keys, and bass), who is joined by Michael White (drums) and Joseph Leming (vocals). Boney and Leming are the principal songwriters.

There is a wide variety of sounds on this album, and it is clear that the band has an equally wide variety of influences. The music is often a mix between Styx and Threshold, but with a lot of other progressive and non-progressive stuff coming in.

This is the best new band I've heard in a long time. I highly recommend it.

• Operation Overlord - “Operation Overlord” is an incredible song that begins with beautiful violin. The pre-vocal introduction builds and builds, eventually becoming a prog rock wonder, reminiscent (largely due to the violin) of Kansas at their best. The vocals come in after a couple of minutes...and they're good strong prog metal/Kansas vocals. The music never gets terribly heavy, but the style is definitely that of progressive/symphonic metal, especially when the electric guitars enter in. It’s the best song of the album.
• Twilight of the Idols - A loud guitar-ridden introduction starts this track off. It's guitar/drum heavy, but keys occasionally add a much-needed dimension to what would otherwise be a low-melody song. The fast guitar and the loud music contrast the philosophical lyrics.
• Sting of Fate - Careful guitar-strumming starts and then vocals enter. The lyrics sound a bit awkward here, and the vocals are less melodic. A very cool proggy bridge provides a nice break, and the last part of the song is more melodic and much more enjoyable than the first part. Leming puts in some nice metal screams to close the song.
• Fear and Trembling - A rich introduction morphs into beautiful prog chaos and shows the band's classical influences. Then heavy-hitting guitars and loud harsh vocals come in. "Religion is easy, faith is hard" sings Leming, and the lyrics contrast different people who live or fail to live their religion. A brilliant building guitar bridge gives the listener another chance to focus on the great music in this song, and then the vocals come in again; this time, though, the vocals and guitars are both out front, and the song is no longer as harsh. It becomes soft and melodic, and then morphs back into instrumental chaos before Leming sings the final line in a bombastic ending.
• Barricades - A haunting introduction hints at war. This is a harsh song, where a few moments with the vocalist are broken up by the war-like instruments. The harshness makes the few moments of melody so much more precious. Violins come in for a short entry. A cool King Crimson-like moment of madness makes itself known. "Barricades" is all over the place, a schizophrenic revelation.
• Another Day - "Another Day" begins with a hard introduction and tones down when the vocals come in. Think 80's power ballad, except with a driving guitar behind it all. That guitar sound defines Contrarian's style more than anything else--more so, even, than the great metal vocals - good stuff.
• Just Doing Time - A drum beat starts this up, and the drums stay sharp and calculated throughout. It’s hard rock with a bit of almost-country. Bon Jovi, anyone? "Just Doing Time" is slower than the other tracks (in other words, it proceeds at a pretty normal speed).
• Plato's Cave - The introduction to "Plato's Cave" is much like the introduction to "Operation Overlord.” It's beautiful, it's got violin, and it introduces a great song. The melody is broken up by the demands of Leming and Boney's guitar. Three minutes in, the metal side of Contrarian becomes very obvious, and a strong King Crimson influence is briefly heard. We get some great guitar music here.
• You're My Prayer - “Silent Lucidity” comes to mind. With sad vocals, quiet keys and quiet plucking guitar, this is a very nice song, adding some variety to an album that already has a lot of it.
• Stand Or Fall - Heavy guitars come in again. This is more of a fun straight-forward rocker...at least at first. Progressive rock and metal fans may dismiss it based on the first 90 seconds...but the song soon becomes very much progressive, with complicated, haunting guitars, complex drums, and melodic vocals. It is here that I am most reminded of Threshold's vocalist. The song ends well with melodic vocals.
• Sanguine Bells - Symphonic metal guides this song. It has great contrasts of fast and slow and great contrasts of soft and hard. It’s fantastic stuff. The guitar speeds through here, especially during the bridge - very rich. This has the best lyrics of the album. Keys end it.
• The Final Hand - Loud guitars start off this harder piece. Chaotic background vocals make a brief yet interesting entry. Very much like Threshold, but with Contrarian's characteristic guitars.
Review by H.T. Riekels, ProgArchives.com - Wide eyed, and eager, I arrived at NEARfest 2007. This was my first prog festival. It was early, and I had a great opportunity to visit the various vending tables before the crowd grew. I knew there would be the various music stores represented, artists, and the bands playing on the main stage. What I did not know was that other bands would reserve space to promote themselves. The first such table I happened upon was for Contrarian, a band I had never heard of. This actually makes sense (as I would come to find out later), because their debut album had just been released that week. I listened to a bit of the music, and introduced myself to the man at the table. Tim Boney and I spoke a bit, and to my surprise, learned that he was unaware of Prog Archives. More people were coming around, so we decided to talk again later. When we spoke again, we began to build a rapport. He had great ideas about making intellectual music. He also happened to be a very friendly guy. With my interest in his music, and his interest in P.A., he armed me with a copy of Minor Complexities. There are always details to be worked out when launching a new project, so we waited till all the pieces were in place before adding Contrarian to P.A.

During the initial evaluation, it was hard to figure out exactly where to place this band. There is definitely a modern symphonic component, but it also draws heavily on hard rock from the '70s. At that time, there was no Heavy Prog sub- genre, so we decided Symphonic would be best. When I was finally able to get the addition done, it struck me that Heavy Prog would probably be a better fit. At this point (finally), some idea of what the music is like should be forming.

So, what is it exactly that we have here? At first glance, it might seem like an homage to '70s hard rock. You can hear some Styx, and Kansas, but only if the guitars had been much heavier. So, there is a bit of a metal component as well. Joe Leming sounds like he stepped right out of a time machine from the mid '70s. He actually sounds quite a bit like the singer from Triumph (can't remember if it's Emmett or Moore), with perhaps a bit of Steve Walsh, and a touch of Ronnie James Dio thrown in.

Once you dig a little deeper, you see that there is much more to this. The complexity begins to unfold as you notice they have nicely incorporated violin on some of the tracks. Then you notice that there are moments that almost remind you of something Les Claypool, or Gentle Giant might do. As it unfolds, the melodic keyboards, modern symphonic techniques, and insightful lyrics begin to attract attention. There are also some slower, almost ballad moments. It is all put together seamlessly. This is a polished act. It should be, as it took several years to complete. It is also impressive how three guys make this sound like a much larger band. In fact, the band did have to increase its numbers in order to play live.

With all that is going on, it is still the remembrance of '70s hard rock that is the primary flavor of Contrarian. It is very well done, but that style has lost much of its appeal to me over the years. I rarely find myself listening to the rock classics of that era anymore, and I never was a big Kansas fan. But, that doesn't mean it's not good. I think it's mainly the vocal style. Joe Leming has a terrific voice, but I just prefer a bit more subtlety these days. The lyrics are also thought provoking, and intended to be that way. The subject matter has a lot of depth. All the musicians definitely know their way around their instruments. The guitar is especially ripping. If this sounds like something you would be into, then go for it. I give it a 3.5 rating, and am happy to round it up to four. - MusicStreet Journal

Review by The Classical Connection - Tim was recently interviewed by Paul Erdman, host of an internet radio progressive rock show on the Delicious Agony network. CLICK HERE to listen to the interview (MP3 - 30 minutes).

•Notes by Paul Erdman: Contrarian's debut album Minor Complexities is quite remarkable. An independant band from New Jersey, Contrarian features incredible playing, nice arrangements, powerful vocals, thought provoking lyrics -- a masterful blend of complexity and hard rock.The most obvious musical comparison (and one of their biggest influeces) is the band Kansas, especially with Contrarian's use of violin on several tracks.

I had the fortune of meeting this band at the 2007 NEARfest, and as I spoke with them and listened to portions of their CD I knew I had made a good find.

I paired Contrarian's music with the 8th String Quartet of Dmitri Shostakovich, as I felt the music has similar intensity and because I felt listeners would appreciate it, as it is quite proggy. The song Operation Overlord is a tribute to the Allied soldiers who fought the Battle of Normandy.
- Paul Erdman

Review by Pete Pardo, Sea of Tranquility - Contrarian are a progressive rock/metal band from New Jersey whose debut CD Minor Complexities probably fell under the radar for many folks in 2007, and that's a shame. If you are into hard driving prog rock that draws influences from Kansas, Rush, Styx, and perhaps a little Dream Theater & Spock's Beard, then you'll want to investigate this release. The band is comprised of Joe Leming on vocals, Tim Boney on guitars, bass, and keyboards, and drummer Michael White, but also features guest violinist Lance Cockrell and cellist Eric Jorgenson.

It's hard not to hear the strong influence of the great American band Kansas on some of these tunes, especially "Operation Overlord", 'Fear and Trembling", "Barricades", and "Plato's Cave", not just because of the violin, but also due to the crisp and crunchy guitar work and symphonic keyboards. Leming's vocals at times also have a Steve Walsh flavor to them, mixed with a touch of Geddy Lee. Boney is quite the talented player, as he rips into plenty of searing solos and crunchy rhythm work, but his layers of Hammond and Moog sounds are also not to be missed, giving some of these hard rock songs plenty of prog sophistication.

Other strong cuts here include the muscular "Another Day", the acoustic majesty of "You're My Prayer", and the melodic prog gem "Sanguine Bells". If catchy hard rocking songs with plenty of instrumental interplay isn't enough to sell you, the lyrics here are also worth noting, as the band covers a wide variety of topics from World War II, philosophy, literature, and personal reflection. It all makes for a very enjoyable package from this little band from New Jersey, who recently have expanded their line-up and perform many live shows in their local area. Be sure to check them out if you have the opportunity and experience Minor Complexities firsthand. - Pete Pardo