So what if I told you that a bassist from a hardcore metal band put out a solo smooth bass album? Seems 50/50 right? In this day and age with genre bridging, nothing surprises me. But it's not too late for you! Have you all heard of bassist extraordinaire Evan Brewer?
Evan plays bass for progressive death metal band THE FACELESS and has played for notable acts such as Animosity (2000-2009) and Reflux (featuring Tosin Abasi and Sumerian Record''s CEO Ash Advilsen). So it's safe to say this guy's resume looks quite impressive so far.
Being that I couldn't find too much info on this guy's musical education and childhood, it made me more determined to find out how this guys honed in on his talent and perfected it. Luckily, No Treble website had the chance to sit down and chat with Evan about The Faceless and solo career. here's what we got out of the interview:
NT: What got you started playing bass?
EB: Well, I came from a musical family in terms of my dad. He’s kind of a multi-instrumentalist and mainly a really good singer, but he’s been the type of musician that kind of dabbles in everything. If he’s going to make a song, he can play the guitar or the bass or anything, but he’s mainly a singer. So I grew up from an early age going to his band practices and just being around music a lot.
He tried to get me into guitar for a long time but I didn’t like it. I was playing on an acoustic and the tension was crazy and it was cutting up my fingers. I just couldn’t get the feel for it. You know, as a kid you’ll try things and get fired up about it for a day or two and then just forget. That was definitely my case with guitar. I just never really felt a calling to it.
Then in eighth grade we had a music class in my middle school. We had what I guess was the end of the music programs in schools pretty much. They somehow got a few guitars in there. The lady didn’t really know how to play guitar specifically, so she was showing us how to play some songs like Stand by Me with just single notes. I got weirdly addicted to playing that guitar with just single notes. I didn’t have a lot of interest in chords. I was showing my dad how I played and he said, “Yeah, you’re playing it like a bass. You should try this bass.” I started playing the bass that he had. It had super high action, but I still felt like I could play it better than I could ever play the guitar right off the bat and because the strings were thicker they weren’t cutting into my fingers. So inadvertently, I think that’s one of the main deciding factors about making me play bass. Simply because it wasn’t cutting up my fingers, I wouldn’t have to stop playing at any point.
Another deciding factor I think was just that at the time I started playing, popular music had a lot of really good bass players involved in it. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were all over the radio with the Blood Sugar Sex Magik album, which has some of the best bass tone and bass lines put on tape, in my opinion. Primus was on the radio all the time. You just heard more bass in general, so I think those two things just combined at the right time. I never stopped playing since then. Ever. That’s kind of how it went down.
So here is the album art and track listing for Evan's debut (and only thus far) solo record. It's a small 10 tracks but filled with intense structure, timing, crisp clean sound. And the best part? Bass is the ONLY instrument featured on it. Seems like it would be quite boring at first glance. Who wants to hear a guy slap a bass for ten tracks? That was the first impression I had with the album, till I gave it some time to sit down and listen to each individual track.
(You're welcome in advance for linking the entire album via YouTube. Click on the track to listen to it)
Alone was released on June 28th, 2011 via Sumerian Records. Album artwork was made by graphic designer Mauro Mazuera.
1. Actualize
2. Contraband
3. Currency
4. Altered Perspective One
5. Altered Perspective Two
6. Vertigo
7. The Decline
8. Degenerate
9. Looking West
10. A Climate For Change
For the first two tracks ("Actualize" and "Contraband"), take a moment and check out the live performance Evan did at The Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. This is where you can actually see the various sounds and tempos that Brewer tosses into his tracks.
Moving onto the next highlighted track. The single "Vertigo" is absolutely one that stands out on the album. Its very fast paced (I find) with a slew of ambient high bass notes in the background, while Evan just blasts through the main riff at a pace that only someone like Mike Keene (The Faceless) or Tosin Abasi (Reflux) could fully keep up with.
Onto my next duo of great tunes. "Altered Perspective I & II" have me envisioning my evenings of chillin out in a music studio, sippin on a glass of beer or whiskey and just grooving along to these beats. The part one really sets the stage for a build up with some warm sounds and a slow pace, where as part two reminds me of something I'd hear at an after hours lounge, mixed with the setting of a higher production porn flick. Not knocking it at all, that's just what my collective thoughts brought me to.
"A Climate For Change" has been my unofficial morning alarm for quite some time now. It is a great soothing track that finishes off the album and has a jazz fused vibe to it. The track revolves around higher pitched bass leads with some odd electronic atmosphere in the background.
With this strong songwriting packed alongside an incredibly full and rich production that allows the songs’ unique qualities to shine, Alone satisfies in a different way than other instrumental shred-fests. It’s a wholly unique disc that deserves the ear of any instrumental music fan. -Revolver
For those interested, Evan will be releasing his sophomore album in the near future, so check his official websites to keep updated. I also wanted to give a special thanks and shout out to Sumerian Record's George Vallee for hooking me up with a copy of Evan Brewer's album. Without it, I wouldn't be writing the article. Cheers!
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