CrimsonFaced
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CrimsonFaced

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
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"CrimsonFaced - Captain Freak"

Oh Captain, my Captain! Why art thou Crimsonfaced?

Perhaps it's the dirty little ditty "Sex Song". Or perhaps it's the physical exertion of furious riffing that creates the foundation for this set of songs.

Captain Freak, a.k.a. Michael Trapp, is the sole performer, arranger and artist behind Crimsonfaced, an aggressive collection of synth-infused, industrial-strength guitar music. Trapp deftly covers three decades worth of diverse musical genres into a musical Frankenstein's monster - a satisfying mixture of industrial metal, 80's synth-pop, electronica, grunge and 70's arena rock. Trapp is a very talented musician and arranger. The songs (all recorded in his home studio) are lean and clean, and the sound is crisp. His stock in trade is multi-layered, heavy guitars, hyper-kinetic beats and creepy synths.

Out the gate with the opener "Terrified", Trapp wastes no time in showing you what he's all about. Driving rhythm, spastic guitar, and techno-beats merge into a satisfying blast of aggro-rock. "Blameless" follows in a similar vein with crunching guitar and a franticly syncopated drum signature. "Crazy" slows it down a bit, and then builds up and up, climaxing in a tasty Randy Rhodes inspired guitar solo. Other highlights are the grinding "The Creeps" and the toe-tapping angst of "Video".

"Wrong" is a track I returned to several times, as it showcases Trapp's formidable guitar skills. His evocative solos travel a wide sonic range. Combining speed, subtle tones and fluidity into a heavy 6-string mosaic that ranges from buttery-smooth to grinding devastation. Every trip along the fret board with the Capt. usually ends up being very satisfying.

Trapp is at the core an instrumentalist, but he proves to be a decent lyricist as well. His songs have heart and feeling, and a wicked sense of humor throughout. His record probably could have benefited from a more polished singer. However, his quirky voice gives the songs a decidedly twisted and homemade cast, which adds to the personality of the songs. Trapp's oddly frenetic vocals land somewhere between Les Claypool and Trent Reznor, not surprising as NIN is an obvious influence.

I've seen a lot of indie up-and-comers come and go, and frankly, most have been forgettable. Trapp has achieved what many have tried and failed, a homemade bitches-brew of great music that has staying power. He's done a very smart thing in offering it for free (details follow). With a little more polish and some of the same skills that produced Crimsonfaced, Trapp could certainly achieve more than just underground success. I feel like he's still finding his feet stylistically, but his musical foundation is solid. I'd like to see a bit more diversity in his compositions next time around. In any case, I'm eagerly looking forward to his future work.

Grade : B

http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2463

- The Daily Vault


Discography

Captain Freak, CD (2005)
Lunatic Binge, CD (2009)

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Bio

Multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Michael Trapp (a.k.a. Mike E.T., a.k.a. Captain Freak, a.k.a. The Alien) has been kicking around the music scene for years. For the last year he holed himself up in his own studio (Sober Sucks Studios) to work on his new musical masterpiece, "Lunatic Binge." Influences as
diverse as NIN, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Nirvana, Yes, Beethoven, Beatles and Cheap Trick were brought together to create an original blend of diverse music. Heavy guitar driven power pop tunes sit comfortably next to synth driven drums and bass/electronica and over the top heavy rock numbers. What has been seriously lacking in the music of the 90's and 2000's is the range and diversity of albums by bands such as the Beatles and Zeppelin. Mike explains, "I can't and won't write the same song 13 times and have that be a CD. There is an amazing range of emotion on this disc." Fans of serious guitar chops and excellent melody lines will not be disappointed. In the end - the song is
EVERYTHING!

Michael Trapp is a "serious musician." For whatever absurd reason - this label has had almost evil overtones in the 90's and even into the new millenium. He has attended Mannes College of Music in Manhattan and graduated Berklee College of Music in Boston. For those 4 years he focused exclusively on practicing and writing music. After graduation he played in some heavy progressive chops bands in N.Y.C. and L.A. such as Danse Macabre, DreamSpeak, The Fringe and Dreamer. All broke up due to internal differences just as they were getting press
and an audience. Fed up with bands in general he became a hired gun, becoming the 2nd guitarist in Eddie Ojeda's (Twisted Sister) band. He bought his own crappy studio and recorded "The Furious Guitar" which was featured in a Guitar Player's magazine piece. In the 90's Mike met his dream vocalist Matt Wells. He
joined Matt's band Bad Habit - a pure power pop outfit with heavy arena rock overtones. Then came Nirvana and the band disintegrated after being offered a minor record deal. Matt and Mike then went on to record an album for there own selfish purposes and Bliss(This)' "Chasing the Mad Rabbit" was born.
Unfortunately for Bliss(This), just as positive reviews and feedback were heading the bands way, Michael's ex-wife was stricken with a serious illness and the music had to be put on hold. During that time, he wrote and demoed the entire "Captain Freak" album. With Mike's ex-wife's illness finally in check he bought a new studio and started recording. But then Matt's wife became pregnant and Mike was pushed into handling all the vocal and instrumental duties. "Fuck it," sez Trapp, "I'll change the name of the band to CrimsonFaced and take over the fucking world anyway." In 2005, Mike E.T. a.k.a. The Alien, of Bliss(This) fame released the stunning "Captain Freak" CD. 13 songs of rock and roll majesty, a tapestry of rock's powerful take no prisoners history. Bored of all the nameless faceless rock of the new decade the Alien gave music's boring landscape a serious kick in the ass. Since then Mike E.T. has holed himself up in his Sober Sucks Studios. No one has seen or heard from him since. But recently a new recording, "Pretty People"
arrived at SonicBids' door. Speculation that the "Captain Freak" follow up, "Lunatic Binge" was in the mixing stages has left the rock world holding it's collective breath. Could Mike record another CD in a quarter of the time it has taken Axl Rose to release the new Gun's and Roses CD??? Was it POSSIBLE??? Rumors have also begun to swirl that the Alien was racking up
another huge psychotherapy bill from his MixMaster extraordannaire, Professor Paul Kurzweil. Can it be that "Lunatic Binge" will soon be released upon an unsuspecting, and rather indifferent public??? Details at eleven...