Total B.S. Debuts Groundbreaking Maiden Release

Total BS is a new progressive rock band who have produced their debut CD "2 The Core" with some mixed reactions from the prog community due to its eclectic hard to define style. Band members, Blair Gray (Bass, Guitars, Vocals); Sara Rockoff (Lead Vocals); Bryan Finch D'Booligan (Percussion); Victor Stack (Keyboards) are well accomplished virtuosos and know how to push the boundaries to the limit and beyond. Some may argue that this is undefinable and that is the whole point as it encompasses a plethora of musical directions.

There is so much in the recipe that it is almost impossible to label the genre. Preheat the oven to moderate jazz fusion, rinse the jazz in funky bass and Latin drum rhythms and drain well, combine the mixture with liberal spoonfuls of black soul female vocals, and stir in a smattering of spoken male vocals over medium heat until completely immersed into the mixture, this will become traditional rap when it is thickened, then cover over with swathes of keyboards, place in oven and cook until the cheese has melted through, and maintain an alternative rock sound, spoon in the extra flavour of NU Metal and Classic Rock, then top with slices of 70s disco and a dollop of acoustics and folky violins and cellos, serve immediately. Enjoy your piping hot plate of Total BS.

On the menu are 11 diverse tracks and if one were displeased with a specific track they only need to wait until the next serving as the sound is likely to transform completely. The first entree, “Rivka To The Max”, is a Nu Metal funky piece that settles into a mesmirising funkadelic bassline after a chaotic burst of sound. Sara’s soulful and powerful vocals are instantly jarring, and build gradually beginning with her softer side “meet me halfway ” and “don’t be afraid of the treasure you seek to find”, and this follows a very strong rhythm that may remind one of a hybrid of black soul and disco. But if this were the initial approach, the track completely changes direction with a blast of full on rap from Blair overlayed with Sara’s multitracked backing vocals. Then a loud guitar distortion breaks through the clouds and it is the unmistakable sound of Nu Metal, always a delight for my ears. Sara also has some dabbling in the speed rapping. Her vocals are dynamic and force you to listen. The way the tempo builds in the chorus is exciting and the way this track utilises so many musical genres is a ground breaking approach. The ending has mega rap over the chorus and Blair does a great job, though I am no rap fan and I hoped there would not be any more rap to come. I need not have worried as this is really a one off and delightfully opens the album with an explosive discharge of eclectic rock.     

This is followed by the main course with 5 amazing tracks. “Found It” one of my favourites on the album. This is ultra-funk and features some forceful confident vocals that resonated with me; “I’ve searched every place and researched my depth to trace, I’ve looked high and low, with nowhere left to go.” This is followed by staccato stabs of loud bass and sporadic drumming. Sara has some spoken parts and launches into a very soulful passage with an odd time signature. Victor’s keyboards are very 80s sounding and delightfully reminiscent of New Wave synth. Sara belts out that she is “being pulled deep into the ground”. Eventually the synth solo dominates until the song returns to the main melody. A scorching lead guitar solo is the side salad on the plate, and then a final dash of breakbeat funk formulating a great track that deserves to be heard.

Next on the menu is “Total BS”, that encompasses a driving rock beat. Brian’s percussion competes with the bassline as always and it is a compelling sound. Sara adds the spice to the ingredients with some inspired vocalising using high falsettos and soul; “explanations are so self explanatory when we’re asking why, first impressions are the topline of the story, but the truth won’t fly”. The lead guitar is electrifying and the pads of keyboards augment the flavour. Sara speaks a few lines about the beautiful girl and her impact on the prog-tagonist. There is even a recorded phone message effect thrown into the mix. The time sig is all over the place and it even feels like ELP or Zappa due to the hyper rhythms and the inoculation of keyboards boosting the blood pressure of heart thumping bass n' drums. The lyrics signify the direction of the band to some point; “what’s in a name although it helps identify, all too familiar yet our own equation, you know our name it’s the initials of the same, its gonna be a new sensation, first impressions tenderly leading to discovery.”

Next track, “For Another Day”, feels reggae at times and is a fusion of progressive music and jazz. Bryan’s drums are incredible on this with short triplets, fills and improvised blastbeats. Blair keeps things motorvating along with funky basslines. Sara’s vocals are more restrained and gently sung overall, though she still powers out some phrases to lift the atmosphere. This one grew on me over time, though initially I was not as impressed as the rest of the meal and left this at the side of the plate for a while.

“Following Forward” transfixes with an ethereal atmosphere of keyboards, sounding very 80s in places. I love the vocals on this which are kind of a blend of psychedelic with a strong melody that hooks me in. This would be one of the best examples of prog rock on the album without a doubt. Victor is a revelation on the keys, very Emerson or Wakeman like at times. The lyrics are memorable; “bide your time, don’t break your stride, bide your time, to follow.” The lead break is more subtle but nonetheless effective. The shimmering Hammond sounds generated from the keyboards are exhilarating. Overlayed vocals enhance the wall of sound towards the end of the track where the band take off in full flight. The jazzy nuances are tempered by frenetic percussion. This track is a keyboard domination with offbeat time sig and jazz tuning. The bass sound is cleverly integrated and is almost free form in places and unreservedly funk. The music is constantly changing in form and structure and yet remaining constant.

“One Word” is a delicious serving driven by tasty distortion, powerful lead guitar and very savory bold keyboard motifs. This is one of the heaviest tracks and is rather hard to pin down with a fractured time sig and scat like jazz vocals. The competing instruments seem to all be trying to take over, but then it launches into a square dance rhythm with a strange caller and even grinding metal interjects at one point. The time sig changes are extraordinary and this is as excessive as the band gets, never settling on one style. The structure is technically complex but keeping it intact somehow are the wonderful vocals of Sara who sums it up with; “Some things are better left unsaid.”

“What It Feels Like” is the track that was released online first by the band and it is a rather psychedelic ambient electronic piece. The vocal style is dreamy and multitracked with weird echoes and choral vocalisations. The electronic sound is pronounced, a stagnated keyboard rhythm that feels processed similar to Depeche Mode or other Alternative electronica bands. The atmosphere is rather dark on this, and the lyrics are sung with a strange soulful style, “beautiful bride on her wedding day, someone asks could you please describe what it feels like”, and later the words focus on “a child, he cries with unbridled emotion”, images that strike emotions into the soul. This is not one of my favourite tracks due to the overall feel that does not engage my listening ears but I can still admire the bold approach as compared to the rest of the album, a genuine fish out of water.

“Acoustic Ears” is a folk dish. Just when you thought you may have had the sound pinned down, the band switch to a serving of acoustic, violin and cello. The number is bouncy and upbeat, contrasted to the darkness of some tracks earlier. It is a hybrid of Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and The Decemberists. I didn’t mind this as an interlude breakaway from the complex richness of the earlier tracks, though this piece still features a rather wild percussive metrical pattern.    

Onto the dessert now, and the “Lights On” track cemented my enjoyment factor of the band. The cellos and violins are given the full on treatment really adding the garnish to the bass and drum trade offs. There is a sprinkling of very emotional lead guitar giving Blair a chance to shine, and the production as always is clear and crisp, each instrument easily defined. The instrumental is a short sharp shock of the virtuoso musicianship.

“Finally Free” is the last course on the menu, a free flowing excursion into fusion and funk. The familiar vocals and funky bass return one last time. I am now familiar with the trademark sound and it has grown on me after many listens. Sara’s vocal gymnastics are pleasing to the ear once the style wraps itself around your cerebral cortex. There are some sweet moments here though the track kind of blended into the others, rather than stand out as a memorable highlight. I must admit the ending section is rather innovative with some really soulful acapella vocals; “all the love I left behind”.  

“Running The Race” is the after dinner mint refresher of the meal and it ends things with a satisfactory palate. This rocker sounds like traditional 80s metal with a killer riff driving it. The vocals are wonderful, relentless tempo and a lot of intricate phrasing in the verses. The frenetic vocals are almost non stop in places, matching up with the hard rock beat. It is punctuated by a generous serve of creamy keyboards. The sound is Hammond like giving it a 70s feel. Sara eventually lets loose with a couple of extended notes and finally the album comes crashing to an end.   

The influences are a key to the musical direction of the band; influences that range from classical to opera, (stemming from Sara’s mother’s musical tastes), to disco and soul music, from Classic Rock and heavy metal of the 70’s and 80’s (that were literally inflicted on Sara like a disease as a teenager), to electronic, industrial and Nu Metal of the 90’s. It is little wonder with all these influences swimming inside the band member’s vision that the music is eclectic and difficult to genre-ise. The music is replete with innovation, diversity and intensity. There are fleeting glimpses of folk and the textures of light and dark, of tension and release, create dynamic hyper-music for the senses. Yet the music can be played well on a live stage, as the band have proven on their many gigs, and it can appeal to a wide audience mass.

Each track has a mood that ranges from joyous exuberance to melancholy sombre textures, branching out into some more adventurous territory or to experiment with musical forms. Total BS’s ferociously original approach to music is clearly influenced by the prog rock legends of the 70s, and yet is not prone to bowing down as carbon copies, rather is contributing to a reinvention of the genre for the new generation of listeners. The music is highly engaging and at times disconcerting due to the complexity and those unusual vocals. The compositional style is exemplary and takes one on a sublime journey of a variance of styles. There are moments on the album that did not resonate with me, but there is enough here to recommend to even the most casual prog fan. I am sure the band can produce better as they are just starting out, but this is a wonderful launching pad to their career. I can award 3 ½ stars for this debut and look forward to more music to come in future.