The Road
New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
This New York/Boston based band has written an epic story set to music involving a protagonist, Virgil, and his journey to rediscover his purpose in life. The two big questions the band posses are, is there one monomythical journey we all must take to discover our purpose in life? Do we find the answers through that journey?
Maybe they meant for this to be a modern Lamb Lies Down on Broadway interpretation. It is filled with some prog and jazz effects, but few of the out of body experiences and musical experimentation we associate with the Genesis classic.
Rating: 4/5 – Interesting storyline filled with some good music.
Track Listing:
"Introduction" is a narrated explanation of the story that is about to unfold.
"Interlude I: Introspection" begins with air raid sirens and bombs, shortly followed by horns, electric guitars strumming, and pounding drums as the scenes of war in Onager surrounds the protagonist Virgil. Especially poignant watching events unfold from Egypt lately. The vocals and lyrics capture the feelings and emotions of all of the questions surrounding the reasons for war. The guitar chords and heavy bass help to create the dramatic and violent soundscape surrounding a war torn city.
"Between" opens with a narrative of Virgil discussing why he left his love Laura. Guitars, bass, trumpets and drums help add flavor to the pop/jazz like mix.
"The Price" opens with nice acoustic guitar and quiet trumpet. Then the acoustic strumming begins, making this one of the best songs on the album. The vocals lay out the story well. The trumpet solo adds a jazzy feel to the sound.
"Interlude II: Wandering to Some Purpose" brings a cool noise effect as acoustic guitars play in the background and the narration begins.
"Diminished" is an eerie, bleak sounding, electric guitar filled piece with drums supporting and Virgil trying to focus through all the turmoil.
"Interlude III: Thinking Aloud for None to Hear (Including Bullets and Top of the Stairs)" is a narrated discussion of the war set to background acoustic guitar and effects. The strumming acoustic work here is some of the best on the album.
"Charity" opens up with keys and electric guitars as the vocals begin again to tell the story from the wounded protagonist's perspective. The guitar solos work well to weave the feeling of conflict in the story.
"Interlude IV: Descent" is another narrative discussion to open the final section of the album.
"Inferno" is a descent into darkness and the music follows suit. The vocals are excited and fearful. The loud electric guitars, drums, trumpets, and keys create a dark world soundscape.
"Inferno V: Ascent" is a narrative from Virgil, who once again is revealed his purpose in life and is returned back to the streets of Onager.
"Second Chance" is a return to the surface of Onager full of guitars, vocals, and drums.
"Interlude VI: Arriving" is another narrative description of the story.
"Mecca" has a Middle Eastern sound to the opening. The vocals and music blend well to give you the feeling of being amidst the throngs of worshipers who attend this yearly journey. The wild guitar solos that reach for the climax are some of the best on the album.
Added: February 4th 2011
Reviewer: Mark Johnson
Score: * * * * - Sea of Tranquility progressive rock review
The technical prowess of Yes and . . . Adrian Belew-period King Crimson converge on The Road’s debut. Through 11 flowing songs, The Road weave stories through tapestries of sound that stay in constant motion. The alternative prog compositions of Phish also come to mind as the songs rise and fall with the changes of the tide. “Someone Like Me” twists with the jazzy groove of an upbeat Dave Matthews Band track. This is an album that classically trained musicians will love and people who prefer quieter, gentler music will appreciate.
-- Chuck Foster in THE BIG TAKEOVER
- The Big Takeover
DRIFT features eleven mind-blowing tracks . . . able to please right off the bat due to its peerless beauty, elegance and completeness. . . . I can't frankly find any flimsy point on this album. . . . the guitar-work is consistent [and skilled] . . . [there are] subtle bass lines with impressive rhythm changes . . . the drumming is impeccable . . . and the beautiful wind instruments and [vocals bring] a real shine to the album. "Drift" is . . . one of the best and most creative releases to get to my ears . . . [and] is definitely a great find for people like me who need music as [much] as we need oxygen to keep on living. This album is highly recommended. - Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal
DRIFT is the debut album from The Road, an exciting band who combine progressive rock, alternative, folk, jazz and funk influences into a very stimulating sound that should appeal to a variety of listeners...rich vocal harmonies, complex guitar lines, and melodic horns...with plenty of synths, clever drum rhythms and tasty guitar solos...this is a fun debut from a talented band...that is really trying something different. - Sea of Tranquility
[The Road]'s jazzy, original form of progressive rock is quite interesting. Their song structures are challenging and these guys can definitely play....The arrangement in the opener ["Breathless"] is stunning and the vocals are up there with the best of them...the music on ["All Time"] is purely awesome...and "Fly Away" is another powerful cut [with] some particularly tasty guitar solos...["One Small Kindness"] is another highlight of the disc that really rocks out...and in ["Yellow Wood"], another powerful progressive rock cut, a lot of the instrumental interplay borders on brilliant...This album is very good and presents a new interpretation of progressive rock that should appeal to both classic prog fans and those addicted to neo-prog. It's a fine start and shows a lot of promise for the future. - Music Street Journal
Unwilling to be stuffed into any one genre box, [The Road's] music culls freely from jazz, folk, blues and classical material, mixing them together with rich vocal arrangements and memorable hooks...and the inclusion [of several classical pieces] adds some freshness and class to an already impressive debut...Had ["Breathless"] been released 25 years ago, it should have been a radio classic..."Requiem"...has a soulful, passionate vocal delivery and a gentle arrangement suitable for the song's message of wistful recollection and loss. The guitar solo here is wonderful...and in ["Bipolar"], moments come close to achieving the kind of intensity that was King Crimson's calling card...[which] is strong praise indeed...DRIFT is a welcome introduction to a band worthy of being added to a "check them out" list.
- Bill Knispel in ProgScape - ProgScape
Discography
DRIFT LP, released Fall 2006
[Played on various radio stations and programs including WMFO (Medford, MA), WRFL (Lexington, KY), ProgRock Radio (online radio), The Dividing Line (online radio)--The Rogues' Gallery program; featured on Eclectic Mix (online music show); reviewed in The Big Takeover, Sea of Tranquility, ProgScape, Music Street Journal, Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal among others]
MONOMYTH, released Winter 2010
Featured on "Rogues Gallery" of TheDividingLine.com, an international internet radio station. Nominated in the Best Foreign Album category of Italy's Prog Rock Awards.
Photos
Bio
MAZ ALI--GUITAR/VOCALS
Maz comes by way of Texas, where he cut his teeth playing guitar for a number of bands from different genres. Now a Boston resident, Maz combines an interest in progressive music with a passion for progressive politics--the result in both studio and live work is a quality musician with serious crowd appeal. Plus he works for social justice, which is kind of cool just in general.
JOHN MARTIN--BASS
Given the number of transplants we have in this band, we felt we needed to have at least one Boston born-and-bred member, and John was the obvious choice to keep the Beantown contingent of our fans happy. A long time musician with experience in a number of bands, John plays his bass (without frets, thank you very much) with equal competence and creativity, and his fusion of tight rhythms and melodic lines complement Aaron and Greg G.’s guitar work nicely. And since his main axe is the double bass, we figure we can get admission into those smoky jazz clubs now if we have a mind to. John may seem like a mild-mannered environmental consultant on the outside, but don’t let that polite demeanor fool you—under the respectable veneer lies a passionate musician who’s ready to lay down bass lines and take names. He lives this double life (sort of) out of his home in Somerville, where he’s learned more back routes to secret places in Boston than anyone should be allowed to know.
AARON MOULIN--LEAD GUITAR/VOCALS
Originally from Maine, from an early age Aaron wanted to learn guitar in the way that would give him the most chances to play, and ten years of classical guitar training made it possible. Heavily connected to the progressive scene, Aaron cites King Crimson and similar bands as his chief influences in the rock/pop world, and he's learned the lessons of his varied musical history well. Aaron plays instruments both old and new, competent in both the lute and the viola da gamba, not to mention trumpet. But the guitar is his first love, and he plays it with energy and passion. Displaying dazzling technical virtuosity and consummate musical style, Aaron brings innovation, edginess, mastery of complex rhythmic patterns and an electrifying solo sensibility to The Road, along with a quirky sense of humor only he truly understands. By day he is finishing his doctorate in biochemistry at Brandeis; people say his formulas are fun, but you can't dance to them.
MARK RZESZUTEK--DRUMS
Mark comes to Boston from the midwest - Michigan - and is (currently) the newest member of The Road.
GREG WILSON--LEAD VOCALS/TRUMPET
A resident of New York City via New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Greg has played trumpet for over twenty years and has been writing music for nearly that long. Coming from both a classical and jazz background, Greg's influences are eclectic and numerous, from Billy Joel to Vertical Horizon, from Miles Davis to Mozart. What has always chiefly interested him is the interplay of words and music, the ability to tell a story or express a feeling while enhancing it with song; and he takes his role as The Road’s lyricist seriously. Combining a poetic sensibility with a clear, smooth and passionate delivery, Greg weaves the melodic timbre of his trumpet playing into the articulate intensity of his vocal work. A college professor, he loves teaching and writing, too--seven years of graduate school will do that to you--and is happy to have completed his Ph.D. specializing in the Renaissance at long last. He lives in Riverdale with his wonderful (and indulgent of his musical ambitions!) wife Clea, daughter Senavene and dog Lilo.
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