 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| With a sound the resembles a mix of modern hard rock and the classic days of heavy metal with just a touch of bluesy funk, The Motherhive Syndicate delivers headbanging drive and emotion for 58 minutes on their album, “Negative Spaces.” Soaring vocals with just enough grit, and a guitar that rides that fine line between rhythm and shred are the carrying sounds of this album. Turning down the treble, reveals the solid percussion and groovy bass lines that really drive this music. Clearly drawing on influences from all over the musical world, these guys are a Madison band to be watched. |
Isthmus Mad Tracks- August 2009 |
Review by Jessica Steinhoff |
If Urban Outfitters’ newest offerings -- plaid flannel shirts and dresses that might’ve been pilfered from Bridget Fonda’s closet in Singles -- are any indication, grunge is on the way back in. This is good news for The Motherhive Syndicate, a local band rocking out to the tune of Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and other purveyors of the Seattle Sound. While the band’s fashion sense tends more toward gangster-chic (suits, ties and sunglasses), their single “Grand Panjandrum,” a track off of a new album called Negative Spaces, is more of a corduroys and greasy-hair affair. The track starts off with a sludgy guitar riff reminiscent of Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow,” then morphs into a melody that would fit right in on a Collective Soul album or a ’90s mix tape, right between Alice in Chains’ “Would?” and “Star Dog Champion” by Mother Love Bone. Even the lyrics, such as “I can’t take this very much longer / Because I’m falling apart, just don’t know how it started / I really thought I had it all made,” echo many grunge bands’ sentiments about personal failure and disillusionment. These words are based on personal experiences, much like a lot of ’90s anthems, but there’s something else at play as well, says singer Michael Kerwin. That secret ingredient is the 2006 Will Ferrell movie Stranger Than Fiction. “The gist of the film for me was who controls who. Do we really have control over other people’s lives. Even more important, do we really control our own?” he asks. It’s a pretty deep question to spring from a comedy flick, and one the band -- which is composed of familiar faces from other Madison-area groups such as Rapscallion, Flat Atom and Chemical Smile -- likes to use for kicking off their live shows. “We like to open with ‘Grand Panjandrum’ because we feel it has the right balance of energy, mood and melody that will grab the listener right away,” Kerwin says. “Plus, the concept is something I think people can easily identify with. |
|
|
|