Solace and Stable
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Solace and Stable

Blue Springs, Missouri, United States

Blue Springs, Missouri, United States
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"Zimms Music and Entertainment reviews"

Kudos to Solace and Stable for producing brutal, extreme metal, with an unexpected edge of poetry and guitar work that sparkles against dark musical undertones and guttural vocals. Musician Gabe Fry’s current solo work will definitely get your attention. I’m not a fan of extreme metal, but you don’t have to be to appreciate his work. Fry’s lyrics spring from his own emotions, faith, and life experiences, while his instrumentals support the rise and fall of his story lines.
My biggest problem with extreme metal, especially from emerging bands, is a tendency to ignore the marriage of music with lyrics. This may seem like a fine line when it comes to brutal, but keep it real, if the music doesn’t rock the lyrics, the overall sound is just disconnected. Screamo for screamo’s sake leaves nothing memorable and can fall flat. Fry’s instrumentals rage and twist with guitar work that one moment is solid classic rock, then unexpectedly leaps to another level, maintaining a tight, flawless, performance.
As I listened to the soon-to-be released “Hold On”, legendary band Emerson Lake and Palmer came to mind. Fry’s “Hold On” opens with a version of “Adagio for Strings”, reminiscent of ELP’s signature use of classical music. However, it wasn’t the use of classical juxtaposed with extreme, that brought ELP to mind. Don’t get me wrong, Solace and Stable does not sound like ELP. The similarity is Fry’s use of technology to produce a progressive and unique sound.
With all that said, I have to point out, in my opinion, Fry shorts us a little with his vocals. The tracks are mixed in like instrumentals, and while that adds an interesting dimension to the overall sound, his words are lost along the way. I highly recommend taking the time to read the lyrics he provides on MySpace, as they are as intelligent and well composed as his music.
Gabe was busy this last week recording another band, but found some time to talk to us about his solo project and gave “Zimm’s” a little inside news on the future of Solace and Stable….
Leslie: Let’s just start off with the basics here, and get to know you a bit.
Gabe: Well I’m 22 years old. I graduated from Blue Springs High School. I’ve got 3 brothers, 1 sister, 2 step sisters, and a step brother. My mom and step-dad are evangelist. I grew up co-raising my 2 little brothers and sister as my parents were both single parents till I was 18. That created not much opportunity for a childhood but helped me to learn responsibility, and created lots of opportunity for guitar practice. The first metal band I ever saw was “The Red Chord” at the El Torreon. That was a life changing experience for me, ha ha. I have lived in Missouri all of my life except for fall 07 – spring 08 [when] I lived in Toledo, Ohio playing with “From The Shallows”.
Leslie: I’d like to know about artists, songs, any music related experience, that had a profound effect on you; music that brought you to life when you heard it.
Gabe: I would say the band that had the biggest effect on me musically would definitely have to be “Between The Buried and Me”. The Silent Circus completely changed me as a both a listener and a musician. It really opened my eyes to the world of progressive metal, and helped me to see the possibility of technicality mixed with structure and melody. “The Red Chord” was the first extreme metal band I saw, and has always been a huge inspiration and influence for me as well. I got to know the guys a bit when touring with “From The Shallows” and that was an incredible experience in it’s self, ha ha. After seeing them the first time it really instilled the dream of becoming a full time musician and the possibility of impact playing live.
Leslie: You use Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” in the beginning of “Hold On”. Do you have a background in classical music?
Gabe: Not so much. In fact the sample was taken from a DJ Tiesto rendition which started out as the intro to our live show. I’m really into classically influenced metal however. I really like bands such as “Necrophagist” and “Spawn Of Possession” who have that heavy classical influence in their music.
Leslie: Currently you’re working as a solo artist. Tell me about the events leading up to now. Are you going to pursue a solo career at this stage?
Gabe: Well, “Solace and Stable” was never meant to be a solo project. It started out as a band, and due to some events out of our hands most of the lineup was distracted by their own unfortunate events. I felt the best thing to do at the time was to keep the ball rolling and record an album solo. I wasn’t sure if the band would get back together, but it was my hope. So I had 10 songs written by the time I told the remaining members I would be going solo after Zach Tennant stepped down from drums. There were no hard feelings, and I was so thankful for that. It took me about 2 months to record the whole album. After about 6 weeks into it, and the waters began to settle, we decided to re band. This information hasn’t been released yet, but we are planning to do so very soon with new media updates supporting the release. The future of the band is definitely going to entail touring and more records. We are all really excited to start playing live again after the response on MySpace has been so strong in regards to half the album which is on our page.
Leslie: Recording is no longer limited to professional studios. Give me an idea of what equipment/programs you’re currently using and what you like/dislike about it. Are you satisfied with what you’re producing?
Gabe: I’ve got a very simple, cheap setup. A line 6 Toneport that I use the for the guitars, bass, and vocals. I run a ts-9 Tube Screamer through a Presonus tube preamp with the Toneport to add tube warmth, and more gain. I also use an Alesis 3630 compressor for the vocals alongside the Tube preamp. I use Cubase for my DAW, and recorded all the guitars and bass on my ESP-MH1000NT. For the drums I use DFH and EZ drummer samples. I am self taught in recording as well and have learned through trial and error. I think it’s an amazing tool that every band should take advantage of especially early on. Recording studios are very expensive, and for about the same price of a demo you can own your own studio and take your time recording everything. I’m happy with the way the recording turned out considering it was a home recording. I don’t have a whole lot to work with and I definitely want to expand my ’studio’ and get some better equipment to progress the quality on the next record.
Leslie: Are you a trained musician, or self taught? Did you begin with guitar? Do you play any other instruments?
Gabe: I’m a self taught musician for the most part. I took just a couple of lessons when I started playing 8 years ago. I mostly took the route of learning other bands material by ear, and learning different chords and scales that way. The first instrument I actually played though was keyboard in which I taught myself to play in so many words, ha ha. It helped me learn the idea of how notes make up a chord, helped develop rhythm, and my ear. I do play bass, a little bit of drums, and vocals in which I recorded all on the album. The drums were samples however but I wrote all the drum parts.
Leslie: Your lyrics are powerful on many levels. Not only do they speak to emotions, but there’s a common thread of spirituality. What drives you to write?
Gabe: Well my faith is definitely a huge inspiration when it comes to writing the lyrics. It plays a big part in my life, and I do my best to consider it In all things. Although not all of the themes on the album are solely linked to spirituality. I write about life’s mysteries, and my own personal struggles, and over comings. I try to have a positive or encouraging message throughout every theme. I try to write lyrics with themes that compliment the feel of a song as well. That was my biggest challenge in writing this album, and there were times when I was really scraping for inspiration.
Leslie: Some musicians just create when the mood strikes them. Others approach writing and composing in a more structured way. How do you work?
Gabe: I tend to write when I feel inspired. I never really know how long that inspiration will last, so I try to seize the moment when possible. It may spawn from a riff I’ve been playing or I will hear something in my head and put it down on tabit. I never scrap anything though. I tend to write a section of a song, and stop after no longer feeling inspired. Sometimes reflecting I may not enjoy it as much, but given a week later I really enjoy it, ha ha. So I never scrap anything anymore.
Leslie: The internet brings a whole other dimension to the music industry. What’s your take? Do you find it’s been beneficial? Are there drawbacks? How do you utilize it?
Gabe: The internet is an amazing tool and can be used in so many ways to help bands market and promote themselves with or without the help of a label. The barriers of distribution for unsigned bands or artist have come down with sites like I-tunes and CD Baby. The internet gives us the tools to market and promote ourselves which is incredibly empowering. One of the few drawbacks that stand out to me is there are so many artist on MySpace that it’s easy to get lost in the sea of active and or inactive bands.
Leslie: You’re not performing currently as far as live venues. Is this a possibility as a solo artist, or do you need the support of a band to perform your music?
Gabe: The support of a band is definitely necessary when playing this material. Although I do have a band now, I was considering playing live to the album by myself. I was going to at least give it a try as I knew some artist such as ” Buckethead ” play to an iPod live.
Leslie: And finally, if given the opportunity, who would you most like to sit down and play with and why?
Gabe: I would love to play with Paul Waggoner (”Between The Buried and Me”) as he is a huge influence of mine. I would love to just know about how he developed his style, and what he thought about mine. I’m sure I could learn an incredible amount even if it was just half an hour.

April 19, 2009 by Leslie
http://zimms.net/wp/?p=323
- http://zimms.net/wp/?p=323


"Hearwax Media reviews"

When listening to Ion Dissonance’s Breathing Is Irrelevant, a startling realization is met; there are breakdowns on it. Ah, the palm muted chugging of yore is a much loved signature in modern metal, but it is its placement that is crucial. That album had a hell of a lot of technical death metal, an unsafe juncture for beat down territory… Unless they were prepared to earn the dreaded deathcore mark. Ion Dissonance is not deathcore, and Hearwax has not ventured very far into deathcore country; it is difficult to give all around justice to a style of music that in many respects is flawed from the outset. Is the torrential and unflinching affection felt for Breathing Is Irrelevant due in part to its release date (before the dXcore crazy craze) or is it because song craft and how to use placement give that release an immunity? Deathcore… It’s a paradox, perhaps one to avoid until time gives an even-keeled judgment. And yet, here is a review for Adaptation And The Seclusive Remedy, by unsigned band Solace And Stable. No, they do not play by-the-numbers deathcore, but the elements are there; melodic death metal riffing with stylishly brutal vocals, blast beats, and core-worthy breakdowns. What matters is that this is a damn good album.
The eleven songs on this debut are chock full of fantastic riffs, with well-executed lead work and a groove infected drum method. One half-title track “Seclusive Remedy” has a very memorable pallet of riffs in particular. The strengths of this song, and as a macrocosm the entire album, lies with compelling writing that permeates each new passage. Melodeath harmony riffs? Check; however, the riffs themselves contain a sincerity of design, necessity that rejects imitation or pretense. The vocals themselves are one of the more appealing factors of this release; Sure, they are chic, indicative of the overall flashiness of this disc’s format, but they possess serious conviction and uniqueness. The vocal lines quite simply have authoritative passion, and are immensely relatable. The ruthless delivery just packs a lot of punch and should be used far more often than it is in the soup of droning new age br00tality.
While the style is familiar, I cannot faithfully say that this release really mimics specific concepts from other bands. It is obvious a lot of energy, trial, and error went into crafting these tracks, and although this is an independently released venture, this humble presentation represents that individual ability to use the raw materials of a format and take the best from it. Obviously, the largest draw back is regarding the production itself. It is a wildly unbalanced mix; guitars dominate the aural distribution, and the snare hits often snap gratingly. However, to be completely relative, a DIY enterprise such as this should demand that the performed material take precedence over the limitations of recording. As Solace And Stable share a foundation with bands you are likely to find on Sumerian and new age Victory Records, they deserve a vastly better arena to save their genre.


08/01/09 by Alec Mckay
http://hearwaxmedia.com/1586/solace-and-stable-adaptation-and-the-seclusive-remedy
- http://hearwaxmedia.com/1586/solace-and-stable-adaptation-and-the-seclusive-remedy


"Solace And Stable - Adaptation and The Seclusive Remedy (2009) Album Review"

Let’s face it, most established metalcore, deathcore, progressive and whatever core bands all sound the same these days. So, undoubtedly when a new band comes along and releases something that fuses metalcore, deathcore and progressive melodic elements together perfectly, a few peoples pants are sure to be wet in shock and excitement. Meet Solace and Stable, a new kid on the metal block that will undoubtedly ruffle a few feathers and perhaps make other bands clean up their acts and do something new.

Adaption And The Seclusive Remedy is the debut full-length album from Solace and Stable a 5 piece progressive metal band from Kansas City, MO that packs a massive punch. This album sounds like a mix between; August Burns Red, Between The Buried And Me, Parkway Drive and For The Fallen Dreams, so pretty much the perfect mix when speaking in terms of metal music. This is probably one of the best unsigned album releases I have heard in a very long time, which doesn’t say too much of the other new metal bands (because there are thousands of them).

Somehow Solace and Stable manage to make melodic metal new and exciting again with this album; the riffs are perfectly crafted, the lead riffs mean as hell, the vocals unique and like nothing I have heard in a very long time from a metal band and the energy is just intense. Another thing I really love about this album is the fact that every track sounds different from the one before it, unlike some other bands that simply recycle the same riffs over and over again.

All the classic elements are there; blast beats, floorpunch worthy breakdowns, brutal vocals and awesome musicianship. Track number 8, “The Lost” is fucking awesome, the low vocal growls, melodic lead riffs and Sam Tennant the vocalist screaming, “Wake up America” over an awesome breakdown. Track number 3, “The Seclusive Remedy” immediately reminds me of Between The Buried And Me’s earlier material from the Silent Circus album and the masterpiece, Colors.

Each track is individually crafted and it is more than obvious that a lot of thought and effort went into this DIY release; but the only downside to this album is the production quality (which is to be expected from an unsigned release), the guitars are too loud and unbalanced, vocals slightly washed out and the drum kit should have had more time spent on it, perhaps reducing the volume on the cymbals and fixing that damn snare which sounds horrible at times.

Needless to say, for what it is (a DIY release), it is damn good. I have had this thing cranked up to the max in my car, especially love that breakdown at the end of “Burden” I absolutely love this album, put it on my iPod and have a copy in the car, and really cannot wait for their next release which will no doubt have better production quality and the Solace and Stable foundations that they have now concreted into the ground of which all future releases will hopefully have. - http://beatsmash.com/2010/02/01/solace-and-stable-%E2%80%93-adaptation-and-the-seclusive-remedy-2009


Discography

Adaptation and The Seclusive Remedy - 2009 (Self Released)

Photos

Bio

Solace and Stable, have all of the ingredients in order to create an extremely delightful listening experience for those introduced to their music. Incorporating a technical and tasteful feel in such progressive songwriting, they are able to create a hunger in their listeners that cannot be satisfied in one listen. Inspired by such acts as "Between The Buried and Me", "The Red Chord", and "Into The Moat", S&S found a love for progressive songwriting, technical execution, speed, and a melodic relief. These ingredients joined with a balance of catchy melodies, and heavy settings created their diverse sound.

In 2005 Gabe Fry (guitar player/founder) formed "The Body and The Blood" in which Zach Tennant (drums), and Ward Wasmer (Bass) also played in. They released their first E.P. which gained local acclaim, and did short local tours in support of the E.P. Summer of 2007 the band had reached it's end and Gabe went on to join "From The Shallows" an Toledo OH, based death metal core Quintet. "From The Shallows" released "Beyond The Unknown" on Tribunal records and toured with such acts as "The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza(Metal Blade Records)", "Kill Whitney Dead(Tribunal Records)", "Woe Of Tyrants(Metal Blade Records)" "Dead To Fall(Victory Records)", and more. Gabe signed endorsements with Framus, Peavey, Rocktron, Godlyke Distributing, and Threadless clothing.

After 6 months with FTS, Gabe decided to move on to begin focusing on writing an album much more personal than Beyond The Unknown. He learned some important recording techniques that would aid him in his quest for a more individual sound. After settling back in Kansas City, Gabe started "Solace and Stable". As Gabe waited patiently for the right lineup, he wrote and recorded their debut full length, "Adaptation and The Seclusive Remedy". Vocalist Sam Tennant, drummer Zach Tennant, guitarist Colby Bates, and bassist Ward Wasmer, soon after filled the missing pieces. As they continues to create a sound that is both unique and inspirational, S&S pushes forward in hopes of creating a legacy, and leaving their stamp on the metal world.