The new Daniel Bryant CD, MIRROR (DARKNESS) is now released and available to the public for your listening pleasure. I became aware of Daniel’s music through a Reverb Nation artist submission. I’ve know been playing Daniel’s music on my internet radio show for a while now to great response. This CD was also world premiered on my show, Auditory Slam, on the 28th of April.
So, let’s break down the CD for those that may not be familiar with what Daniel does musically.
1) Jekyll & Hyde: This song starts with a slower tone that builds up as the song progresses into an almost Queensryche style hook before coming back around to the beginning style. Great cathedral style effects that really add to the overall tone of the song.
2) Lucky Man: A song of loss and seeking redemption. The guitar tones here really stand out. Vocal delivery is great. Daniel sings in a way that is entirely likable without really sounding like anyone else that I can name.
3) Haunted By...: Song starts with a great guitar/drum combo that once again gives way to Daniel’s great singing and lyrical attack. Lots of progressive style sounds throughout.
4) Not The Same Anymore: Some really awesome Gregorian Chant style singing starts this song out before giving way to a great guitar riff and an almost rap style vocal delivery by Daniel.
5) Sometimes You Gotta Run: Acoustic opening with great vocal over it. The story really takes front and center here. Daniel really has a knack for the art of storytelling in a song. The song gives way to some great heavy guitar and keys that really shine.
6) Wake Up: Strong tones of Queensryche’s Silent Lucidity here. That’s not a bad thing either.
7) Mama’s Boy: My least favorite song on the track. Good tones and singing, it just doesn’t jump out at me like the others.
8) Find Your Way Back Home: Great song with some really great sax playing throughout. Another great set of lyrics delivered with great emotion and style.
9) Reflection: The closer. A 14+ minute romp that takes all the previous styles and roles them into one song. The tour de force of awesomeness.
CONCLUSION: An emotional rollercoaster of a musical journey. Extremely well written and produced that really showcases not just Daniel but the entire band as a whole. You can really tell that this is about the SONGS, not just showing off said musical chops. The progressive nature of these songs will not be for all but if you like bands like Queensryche, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, or later Opeth, this should please you greatly. The CD can be listened to in it’s entirety FOR FREE on both Reverb Nation as well as through Youtube videos.
The website can be found at Daniel Bryant Website
SCORE: 8 out of 10
STANDOUT TRACKS: Jekyll & Hyde, Lucky Man, Find Your Way Back Home
Musician channels grief on Darkness
After losing his friend and coworker in a tragic New Year’s Eve accident two years ago, local musician Daniel Bryant wrote a memorial song for Shane Cullion. But after it was finished, Bryant couldn’t put his pen down.
While he continued to come to terms with the loss, he kept writing until he was satisfied he captured the painful experience in his music. Now he’s releasing the first part of a double album that offers an interesting glance at a local musician’s personal journey from loss to acceptance.
“I love it because it’s so dramatic,” Bryant said. “Then you get the emotion of the stories and different characters. It’s hard to actually describe. It is a journey from darkness to light, a collection of stories from different characters who are flawed in some way.”
Recorded between Grand Bend, London and Halifax, Bryant recently released the first half of his character driven concept album Mirror on his website. Titled Darkness, the first CD contains nine mostly rock infused tracks covering the early stages of Bryant’s healing process.
“I wasn’t planning it,” Bryant said. “We had this concept all of a sudden that kind of just popped up. For me it’s a way of just dealing with stuff. That’s when I start writing. This is the most personal stuff I’ve written.”
Using the two sides of Mirror to separate the themes Bryant noticed in his writing, Darkness has a sound that ranges from heavy metal-inspired to blues and even a little country.
“When you hear it it’s progressive, it’s rock, then you get English horns and strings,” Bryant said. “It’s just so bizarre.”
While some of the heavier tracks portray a certain angst, Bryant is most convincing on some of the softer brooding songs, particularly Lucky Man — about survivor’s guilt, Bryant said — and Sometimes You Gotta Run.
Darkness ends with a song called Reflection. Bryant said it’s meant to portray the album’s characters confronting their demons before picking up again with the second CD, Light, which will be released later this year.
“Another way to look at it from the writing of it, you could almost say it’s the grieving process in musical form,” Bryant said. “Because that’s what I was going through when I was writing it.”
After a series of home recordings, Bryant first went into a studio in 2009 to record Arrivals and Departures. Darkness is available for free at www.danielbryant.ca and Bryant has also found an unlikely home for his newest work on tapdetroit.com, an Internet radio station focusing on independent music.
“We just wanted people to hear it,” Bryant said. “Going into it, it’s nothing I would have expected, that this is what we would have ended up with.”
“Hopefully it’ll make (people) want to hear the second part.”
Chris.montanini@sunmedia.ca
London musician Daniel Bryant has displayed his songwriting abilities on five previous albums and his 2011 charity EP "Shane's Song", which paid tribute to a friend who lost his life in a tragic car accident on New Year's Day. Bryant's newest release, "Mirror: Darkness" is the first part of a concept album that will include Part 2, Light, scheduled for release in early spring. Employing a number of musical genres, Mirror: Darkness tells emotional tales of redemption, self-discovery and guilt. In fact, the album's first single "Lucky Man," touches on many of the same themes Bryant explored with "Shane's Song". The raucous opening track, "Jekyll & Hyde" speaks of shifting identities, while the ballad, "Mama's Boy" tackles the problems of living up to a parent's expectations. An ambitious and thoughtful undertaking.
Performance B- / Production B-
Authors and musicians often draw inspiration from real life events and such is the case with this CD from Daniel Bryant, who recorded "Shane's Song" in honour of his good friend and co-worker Shane Cullion. Sadly, Cullion passed away after being struck by a car on January 1, 2011. Shane's Song contains the sparse, original version of the title track, along with an expanded studio version, another original entitled "Haunted By..." and "I Can Feel Your Heart Beating" and "Dark Parade" from Bryant's previous release "Arrivals and Departures". Both versions of "Shane's Song", featuring Bryant's heartfelt lyrics and quiet vocals, perfectly capture the loss felt by those touched by the tragic loss of a loved one.
Performance: B / Production: B
"Honouring A Friend"
A local musician who penned a memorial song after the tragic death of Shane Cullion on New Years Day has dedicated an album to his friend and coworker in support of the Arthritis Society.
Click the link to read the article.
