WAKE PIG

Over their 10 or so year existence, Three has incorporated quite a few musical styles in their music. Sometimes it's easy to yell crossover prog at the complex multi-faceted music. From alt rock, to pop, to prog, to metal, to hard rock, to this, to that, to something else and they do it again! Lately, however, with their latest releases, the metal has become more prevalent. The music is still highly experimental, with so much fun stuff packed into the songs its amazing some of the music sounds as good as it does. This is one of their few albums where it does sound fantastic, where as some studio albums lack that spark.

Alien Angel is that signature Three sound mixed with that signature Three metal: the perfect Three sound. Joey Eppard's pseudo-virtuoso guitar playing and great vocals, mixed with Billy Riker smashing guitar work makes this track especially special. Not only is the metal riffing a great asset, but also that funky bass work that backs it. This track is no doubt a great way to open up the album.

Funky instrumentals for the win! Where's Max is one of those odd songs that always makes onto the track listing. The track displays an obvious Les Claypool and Primus influence, with out there bass work and busy funk guitar. The track is a little sloppy with organization, with a couple transitions that are weak. Overall, however, this track is a good one, and it really leads you to ask, where the hell *is* Max?

Ah, Dregs, the best song in their set list that it's been put on three albums (yay for puns?). Superb creativity oozes out of this song like an experimental goo. Perfect transitions between varying feels and dynamics, with some one quarter cheesy and three quarters really cool lyrics. There always seems to be a point in my favorite music where I just can't describe it's excellence, and this is one of them. This song is easily one of the best on this album, keeping up a nice streak of great tracks.

Wake Pig welcomes in Three's pop influence as a friend among it's others quite easily. The metal in the music is obvious, as is that signature funk-metal-prog-pop sound. However, much of the verses has that feel that years for the radio. However, the saving grace for this is the chorus. Ripping through any music that threatens its perfection, its finger popping excellence is superb. The rhythm is the best quality, keeping those notes perfectly in sync with each other. The breakdown instrumental section is the next plus, with some creative soloing that often isn't found in their music.

Bramfatura is simply a pretentious show off solo. But trust, that is NOT a bad thing. Heck, half of the classic instrumental sections in any prog song is just that. This shows shows Joey Eppard's impressive skills with the acoustic guitar. With this song, that man could easily go up against giants like Al Di Meola or John McLaughlin.

Trust is another nice funk-metal song with slight, but minimum, pop influence. Creative drumming and nice lyrical work keep this song going. Great breakdowns and creative instrumentation are also a great plus to this great song. It isn't the best on the album, but it easily keeps the great pace of the album going.

Dogs of War somewhat stops the continuity of upbeet funk-metal on this album. Much slower and melancholy than its predecessors, Dogs of War has a certain personality to it. Real compassion can be heard in the vocal work, with some deliberate and sincere instrumentation. I guess this track could be seen as a nice transition/intermission from the great string of fantastic tracks.

Soul to Sell is a short little vignette of funky pop prog rock. Clocking in at just over 2 minutes, not much is in the song, but it's still a strong effort. Some strong vocal work meshes quite nicely with the strong instrumentation, as always.

Queen goes back to those quintessential funk-metal roots. Opening with a fantastic riff, that breaks down to a jazzy vocal piece. This is the kind of stuff that really got me into Three, fantastic riffing, creative breakdowns, signature sounds, and just overall superb creativity. This track lines up right behind Dregs and Wake Pig as one of the better on the album.

Monster is way more funk than anything else. Another short vignette nearly three minutes, the funky bass is really what pushes the song along. It is weaker than the rest of the tracks, but is still a powerful performance. The song is a great 2 and a half minutes to listen to, even though the song isn't as creative as the rest of the album.

Here she is, boys, the epic of the day. The 15 minute rendition of the previously released Amaze Disgrace (now Amazedisgrace), is at its finest. Even by itself, a much shorter 5 minute performance, is impressive. It was easily the best track on the weak Summercamp Nightmare and Half Life. Powerful vocal, instrumental, melodic, rhythmic, and everything work makes this song spectacular. When the addition to the song starts playing, it really shows you the intense musicianship of this band. No, the solos are not played by John Petrucci or Joe Satriani, but they are still highly impressive. When the actual song stops, the hidden track (thank god) does not take long to open. The new rendition of Trust is creative and fun, and neither adds nor detracts from the overall song. After "Trust" finishes, a welcome drum solo is played, showing the drummer's creative and impressive talent. Overall, this dynamic song ends the album on a spectacular note, showing Three's capability of great dynamics and variety.

ALBUM OVERALL: A very, very strong album. Each track has special qualities and a strong sense of creativity, with that signature funk-metal sound. The only weak tracks are Where's Max? and maybe Dogs of War. Strong instrumentation really shows how the band can stretch their creative muscles. Vocal work is strong and compassionate, showing Joey Eppard's willingness to really pour himself into the music. 4+ stars.

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