It could be a case of like father, like son, for rising young metallers Next To None. Hailing from Pennsylvania and featuring drummer Max Portnoy, son of the legendary Mike Portnoy (primarily known for being the drummer for Dream Theater) Next To None have announced the release of their forthcoming, second record ‘Phases’ for July 7th, via Inside-Out music. Formed in 2012, the noticeably young foursome released their well received debut, ‘A Light in the Dark’ (produced, also, by Mike Portnoy), in 2015 and began writing for their follow up almost immediately, continuing right throughout 2016. Self produced, eagerly written, and only mere weeks away, many find themselves curious as to what this band of young brothers from Lehigh Valley appear to be so anxious to release.
If Next To None were determined to start strong, that they most certainly succeed in doing. Musically anyway. ‘Phases’ eases in with “13”, an intro comprised of a haunting piano prefaced by unsettling guitar sounds, before it launches strong into its first track “Answer Me,” followed by the records leading single, “The Apple.” Throughout, Thomas Cuce exercises his dynamic vocal range while holding keyboard duties over the impressively tight band behind him. Yet lyrically there are moments that don’t quite deliver, particularly in “The Apple”, with Cuce singing; “The apple doesn’t fall far from the pear…or something like that, well guess what? Grandma needs a pair of shoes.” Musically the band picks up the slack, but all too often you’re left scratching your head at the less than solid ramblings of this budding lyricist.
[metalwani_content_ad]
Speaking on their self-production, the band commented: “We were able to create music that is completely our own. Every note, every sound, every word, came from us”. If this holds true, it’s only to a point. Yes, there are elements that, if heard elsewhere, one could potentially pick the band out of an audio line up, especially when it comes to the keys. Yet it often seems that ‘Phases’ is a more influence based record than the band care to acknowledge. Derrick Schneider‘s deep, weighted guitar tones and his intermittent style of riffing are reminiscent of OTEP‘s Ari Mihalopoulos, in the same way that Max Portnoy‘s drum sound is reminiscent of Joey Jordison on early Slipknot records. Influences are most apparent on tracks such as “Beg” and “Mr. Mime”, which may have something to do with the mixing of the album being directed by the band, and at the hands of Periphery‘s Adam “Nolly” Getgood. Unlike its predecessor, ‘A Light in the Dark’, there are no real standout moments on ‘Phases’, like the always enjoyable “The Lonely Walk.” But what ‘Phases’ does have to its credit, quite in opposition to the almost safety net like vibe surrounding their debut, is its raw, unhinged and ever brewing chaos, oozing from the angst and grief of the guys in Next To None.
As with their debut, attempts to venture down the rabbit hole and dabble in the realm of epic songwriting gives birth to several tracks on ‘Phases’. But if their debut had an outside and seasoned ear at its disposal, there are more than a few indicators that this time around such a luxury was not at hand. As a result, many of the songs get lost in themselves, particularly in “Kek” and “Alone,” two songs that feel as though they were strong, average length tracks unnecessarily stretched out over the better part of ten minutes for the sheer sake of being Prog. There are certainly strong moments in these tracks, more frequently than not coming from Schneider’s guitar playing. However, there are others that just do not work. The keyboard solos, for instance, which stick, leech-like, in your mind. Bass, played by Kris Rank, unfortunately flies below the radar, as it does for the majority of the record. If the aim was to produce unusually timed pieces played through various different sounds, the result didn’t match up. Ultimately, it just threw the whole thing off, with the keys in “Alone” sounding like they had been performed with all the malice of a drunken monkey beating down on the horn of a clown car. The albums closer, the almost twenty minute, “The Wanderer”, leaves a lot to be desired also, with dual solos that mimic Avenged Sevenfold as well as some fairly standard surfer guitar licks, even if the track, and, by association, the album, does end on a high note.
When ‘A Light in the Dark’ dropped it was as impressive a debut as any young band could release. It featured many healthy components; the band were tight while the songwriting was strong, it was well mixed and, most notably, well produced. With ‘Phases’ the task of self producing is one, it would seem, they were not yet ready for, as production is where most of the issues lie. Wanting to be as purely themselves as it is possible to be is certainly a positive sign for a young band. But ‘Phases’ feels like a band trying to run before they’re ready. If not all it might have been, ‘Phases’ still shows Next To None are brave, bold and in the process of becoming. The next few years could prove to be interesting for these young metallers.