Season to Attack Ready Their First Assault

I've been waiting for months to report on this new group and now I'm finally gonna get the chance to show you guys some brand new music from the just-formed Season to Attack. Catalyzed from bits of the former Vancouver bands Mass Undergoe and Irreverents, Season to Attack is an assault with a melodic alternative edge that will grab you immediately and turn you inside out.
Formed by members David Isbister (lead vocals, and formerly of Mass Undergoe), Alan Calimbas (guitar, and formerly of Mass Undergoe), Jon Wu (guitar and vocals), Cory Wilson (bass), and Brian Badd (drums, and formerly of Irreverents), Season to Attack if one of, if not my most anticipated band to hear coming out of the Vancouver music scene. Experimenting with a new style of recording they call a 3P (a 3-song EP), STA released 3 new songs under the title Threads just yesterday, and oh man, are they prophetic (excitingly, the 3P will also include 3 video blogs for download along with the 3 audio tracks). "Finish Hymn!" and "Unrequited" showcase Isbister's roar of a voice and Wilson's prowess on the bass, but the song that really grabs me and screams lead-off single is "You Aren't Even Worth This Song."
A crystal clear vision of what's to come, "You Aren't Even Worth This Song" has everything the newest single for a band should have: it's got the hook of a guitar-driven chorus and the vocals to match. Isbister's voice is melodic and edgy, and as Calimbas and Wu blast through on dual walls of nitro-driven notes, I'm floored that the first release from a new band can be this brilliant. Halfway through, Wilson's bass lends a funk tone to the undercurrent  of the song, and Badd's drumming is controlled chaos as Isbister brings it all home with that growl that I loved so much in Mass Undergoe. If this is a sign of things to come (and everything in my gut says it is), I can't wait to hear more. Season to Attack is going to be one of the biggest alternative sensations of the next year. Listen to "You Aren't Even Worth This Song" below!

   

Members from Mass Undergoe/Irreverents Rise to form New Band, Season to Attack

With the demise of Vancouver-based alternative band Mass Undergoe, former lead singer David Isbister and lead guitarist Alan Calimbas have come together for a new project. Season to Attack, a pseudo-supergroup of sorts comprising members of multiple Vancouver groups (Isbister and Calimbas from Mass Undergoe and Brian BADD from fellow Vancouver rock band Irreverents), has captured my interest in the most curious of ways. Whether STA will be another band along the lines of Mass Undergoe's alternative vein, or with the garage-rock sneer of the now-on-hiatus Irreverents, I am intrigued by the idea of a Mass Undergoe-meets-Irreverents supergroup. Reviews coming soon, at the sign of the first songs I can get my hands on.   

Mass Undergoe Reveal Sick New Cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way"

It's been a little quiet on the Vancouver front for NewRockNews43 lately, but Mass Undergoe have decided to change all that with a little cover of a classic song. Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" was classic and amazing the first time I heard it: Stevie Nicks' voice was strong and determined, and Mick Fleetwood's guitar was driving and solid.

But that's the original version of the song at this point. Now this classic track gets an alternative update as Mass Undergoe make sure that the guitar chords, still driving and forceful, are filled with post-grunge sneer, and the vocals, still melodic and catchy, are painted over with a pop-punk slick that makes them irresistible. I still listen to Mass Undergoe periodically for some of their tracks like "I Saw You on a Rainy Day" and "This Abundance of Truth" which still rock harder than ever. But while those tracks start of with a post-grunge lick of the bass under David Isbister's alternative-style vocals, "Go Your Own Way" is presented on the backs of catchy guitar chords mixed with smooth pop-punk vocals. While MU didn't write it, every time an artist covers a song, especially one as classic as Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" they leave their stamp seared into the flesh of such a brilliant piece. Alan Calimba's palm-mutes lend a certain perplexity to the opening seconds of the song, and the minute that Brandon Lazeby kicks in on the drums and enters with Marino Mestrovic on bass, this version of "Go Your Own Way" is immediately different from the original. And to top it all off, Isbister's voice is just choice when the chorus rolls around: strong, smooth, and full of energy and attitude.
If their own particular musical quirks weren't enough to set their version of the song apart from all others, Mass Undergoe sweeten the pot by throwing in a few more surprises. The dynamic group-vocals during the choruses just make this song irresistible, and are immediately some of my favorite things about this song. But something else seems out of place at first, though it soon makes its way into the line of my favorite new things about this version of the song. Following the second chorus showcasing the vocals of the entire band, Mass Undergoe change it up, dropping the classic rock skeleton of the song and opting for a ska-punk rhythm and vocal set. Lasting less than a minute, this brilliant change-up is one of the greatest new things about this cover; it's catchy and clever, and blasts right back into a post-grunge rhythm that feeds directly into the classic rock sear of the last minute.
And then before I know it, it's over. The only way to describe this song is brilliant. I wish very much that I could find a studio version of it to post here, but the only video on Youtube is a live performance with Mass Undergoe tearing this song up. Don't despair though, the live version is pretty good for the non-professional quality, and the blasting chorus is still clear and powerful. The studio version, meanwhile, is on Mass Undergoe's Myspace page (here http://www.myspace.com/massundergoe), so if I was you, I'd high-tail it over there and check it out. Mass Undergoe have covered "Go Your Own Way" like it's never been covered before, and in their version, the song grows in ways it's never seen. If I was Mick Fleetwood, I'd wanna shake hands with these Mass U guys, because they just made one of the most classic songs in American history all that more amazing.

Mass Undergoe in the Middle of My Mind Forever

As promised, I deliver to you all now a sick, new alternative/progressive-rock band out of Vancouver, Canada. Grown from the same breeding ground as Irreverents and Incura, Mass Undergoe is a hard-rock four-piece with a rough and ready sound that bleeds from the speaks the minute you hit the "Play" button. It must be something in that Vancouver water, but the minute I hear the first chords of the first song on Mass Undergoe's Myspace playlist, I'm immediately hooked by a guitar and vocal dynamic that punches hard, and stings with the bite of a forgotten love. Maybe that's too far reaching, but I don't care, because that's what I get from it. I don't know about you guys out there, but it definitely means something to me when a song creates such a strong tidal wave of emotion that I start getting all literary.
Comprising members David Isbister (lead vocals), Alan Calimbas (guitar), Marino Mestrovic (bass), and Brandon Lazenby (drums), Mass Undergoe's music melds the intricate intensity of Van Halen and Rush with the serrated ferocity of Three Days Grace and Fuel. Already, even before I work my way halfway down their setlist, Mass Undergoe blows my mind with songs like "Middle of the Week Forever" and "The Flesh Eating Parade," as Isbister's vocals are stop and start, hard-core one minute, then high and indie-influenced the next. The vocal versatility of their singer can only spell hardbound success for the MU guys, and it only gets better from there.
"I Saw You on a Rainy Day" is, from second one, driven by two forces: Isbister's voice and Mestrovic's bass. With a certain vocal dynamic that is questioning and resilient, Isbister blasts me through driving verses and choruses that take off and soar. Mestrovic's bass lines immediately pull me in. Hard and tuneful, the lines drive the screws into this immediate masterpiece. Mass Undergoe proves early on that a song doesn't have to be complicated to be great. This one is simple, with a common verse/chorus/verse structure, and yet it seems so much more than that. While Mestrovic's lines take care of the verses, Calimbas' guitar chords are strong, and the distortion he uses makes sure that they're not forgotten. Taking his rightful place front and center during the mini-bridge after the second chorus, Calimbas trades chord and note melodies with Isbister's voice to create a sonic show in my head I won't soon forget. Behind it all is Lazenby, a powerhouse of rhythm and loose conviction whose kit is alive with the sounds and influences of everyone from Keith Moon to Dave Grohl.
Mass Undergoe continues its heavy melodic sound with "This Abundance of Truth." Again Mestrovic is right in front with bass licks that make me think of The Offspring's "Self-Esteem." This one's a little more alternative than "Self-Esteem," but the bass-heavy chords are there, and, being as that's one of my favorite songs of all time, I'm already more than very partial towards this song. One of the interesting aspects of "This Abundance of Truth" that only serves to make it a more unique track is its change in time signature about halfway through. With a seamless change that seems almost reminiscent of fellow Canadians Rush, Mass Undergoe keeps up a driving rhythm as Lazenby cork-screws through his kit, surrounding me in a rhythmic bliss. I love how Isbister's voice comes off here: more hard-core and desperate than in "I Saw You on a Rainy Day," and Calimbas' guitar solo, though short, is still sweet and brilliant. A jewel in the crown of a song that already boasts more than most songs could ever hope to, Calimbas' solo pushes this one way over the top and makes it a must-hear five-star track for me.
I'm conflicted over which track I should wrap up with, so I wonder why not try both. "I Dug My Grave and Walked Away" has a guitar rhythm that's infectious and Isbister's voice is low and philosophical, while Mestrovic's bass is a dominant force in the song. But I'm also drawn to "Middle of the Week Forever," however, with its amazing rhythm and chord sections. Lazenby's drumming here is fantastic, and brings to this hard-rock soon-to-be-single an alternative/punk flavor that spins this one in a direction you wouldn't see a foot away. That's what I love and look for though: a song that keeps you guessing at every turn.
I don't know how these guys aren't a national name act yet. It's a possibility that they could be up in Canada, but why they're not opening shows with Nickelback and Three Days Grace down here in the States is way beyond me. Anyone, group or solo artist, with this kind of intensity deserves that national stage as much as anyone already on it. One thing that sets Mass Undergoe apart, and even beyond (in my opinion) some of those people who are playing on those national stages, is their lyrical writing. I wasn't comparing these guys to Rush just musically; their lyrics are easy to hear, and deep in ways that give their songs new and brilliant levels. You all gotta hear this guys, so go get of your asses and go check them out. Mass Undergoe is coming, and when they arrive it's gonna be huge.

Sounds Like: Three Days Grace, Stone Sour, Fuel

Key Tracks: "I Saw You on a Rainy Day," "This Abundance of Truth," "Middle of the Week Forever," "I Dug My Grave and Walked Away"

Check out Mass Undergoe more at: http://www.myspace.com/massundergoe and http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1309535633320#!/pages/Mass-Undergoe/20334940644?v=wall&ref=ts