Perpetual Motion

[Jax]

Long before there was Ultimate Metal or virtually any single band message boards, there was Perpetual Motion; it was the place to be to learn about the latest in the progmetal scene, & I've learned about many bands there that came to be some of my favorites. I've been posting there for a little over a decade now & have made some longlasting and dear friendships there; I was curious about what the folks there would think of APT, so I asked them.

Here's the thread..

You can read the posts without registering, but you have to register to participate.

 

[koelling]

The Bon Jovi comparison is hilarious. We both felt the same way about the chorus of With These hands....but that's it. I don't think Rooster sounds anything like him anywhere else in the music. I'm curious to see what the guy who emailed you said.

 

[Sorrell]

Don't care.

I've always said that if anything will hold us back, it would be my voice. I'm not butt-hurt about it. It is what it is. Period.

I've never claimed to be a prog-singer. Actually, as much as I am not a fan of my voice, I wouldn't trade it for 99% of the pretty-boy prog-voices I've heard. That's just not my thing.

So, please don't hold your tongues about this. I don't care. I'm a guitar player. Now, if they start fuckin' on my guitar and bass playing, then we got us a fight! Yeah right. Me fight.

As a wise man once said, "Good or bad, at least they're talkin about ya".

SRS

 

[Jax]

BTW, I didn't post this in a 'omg look what they're saying about you over there' vein..I really value the opinions of the people on that forum (especially LarryD, who I sent one of my cds to & who's promised to email me his thoughts), & just thought you'd be interested to hear the thoughts of people outside the usual fan circle.

Just wanted to clarify that.

 

[Sorrell]

BTW, I didn't post this in a 'omg look what they're saying about you over there' vein..I really value the opinions of the people on that forum (especially LarryD, who I sent one of my cds to & who's promised to email me his thoughts), & just thought you'd be interested to hear the thoughts of people outside the usual fan circle.

Just wanted to clarify that.

I know that. I didn't think that at all. You're not responsible for them. I love hearing from new listeners. Many of them won't like us. That's reality.

Here in our little sheltered world, everybody likes us. That's just not so, in the real world. Reality sucks. Always has.

We'll find our niche, somewhere. Maybe we can open for Bon Jovi!!

Keeping in mind, if I could sell 1% of the records he's sold, I'd be a rich and happy man.

SRS

 

[koelling]

Hey, just the fact that we are actually hearing from the listeners is a great thing. So far out of fifty CDs that were sent out we've only heard four people even admit they received them. I'd rather get good honest criticism than nothing at all. The first CD had just about everyone who bought one let me know when they got it in the mail. This one slipped by our own moderators who, you would think, we'd really value their opinions since...um...they are....well, our moderators. That's why I was so happy to have Robby finally get his copy. Yay! Thanks for the review Robby!!! And thanks to those on the Perpetual Motion board. I take the Bon Jovi comments as a compliment (love his voice!) and everything else seemed to be positive.

 

[SurRhonda]

So far out of fifty CDs that were sent out we've only heard four people even admit they received them. I'd rather get good honest criticism than nothing at all.

Guilty as charged. My problem is: I don't get the chance to listen to music as much as I used to, unfortunately. Plus, I've only had my disc for a few weeks.

Regarding Drawn To The Past...I'm surprised nobody at PM drew a comparison of Sorrell's background vox to Disturbed! I like that part!! And, SS, your playing on that tune is excellent! However, (if I may be so bold) there are cords played in that tune that make me close one eye when I listen. :zombie: Sorry! During the chorus. Maybe because they're so in contrast to the vocal line? I dunno. Otherwise, it's a really good song!!!!

my 2 cents for the moment.

 

[Renegade Drummer]

When my 10 year old son (who happens to think Sorrell is the coolest person he has ever met, and is the best thing since sliced bread) first heard an early version of "Drawn To The Past," the first thing he said was "Dad, Sorrell sounds like Disturbed," which was a compliment, as he likes some of the Disturbed he has heard. I agree with that comparison. "Drawn" is one of my fav tracks on the cd.
So, there ya go.

Robby

 

[koelling]

I've always said that if anything will hold us back, it would be my voice. I'm not butt-hurt about it. It is what it is. Period.

SRS

Well you know I disagree with that. It takes a while to get used to the Geddy Lee's and Jon Andersons of the music world, but I'd rather have an original singer than a David Coverdale rip off. The only reason the Bon Jovi reference is in there has nothing to do with your vocals....it's the melody that you are singing....it has always sounded like a Bon Jovi song to me anyway.

If anything is going to hold us back it'll be not playing live. We are lacking the fan base and following that most bands get by playing live. The internet will never (as we have proven with this release) give us enough exposure or support to really turn that corner. I thought it would....but this time around we've sold more CDs to locals (total opposite from before) and our biggest support has come from our closest friends (Jax, Brett, Logan, Jill, Robby, Adam, Miranda, Lisa, Aubrey, Tash, Scott L, Dave R, etc.). If we play live and can get enough people to come see us we'll have a good solid starting point.

I would rather sell less than ten CDs, though, than to sell out and conform. Our mixing will get better with time....but I am not changing our writing style or our lead vocalist (although I think we should add three more keyboardists.....LOL)

 

[SurRhonda]

Steve: You forgot somebody. (not me)

If you wanna develop a fan base, you know you MUST play out....small bars/open mic night(s), whatever. That's the best way, IMHO, to get exposure. And without exposure, you guys are dead in the water, no matter how great the disc is!

But, you need a few more steady players, still, don'tcha?

 

[Sorrell]

However, (if I may be so bold) there are cords played in that tune that make me close one eye when I listen. :zombie: Sorry! During the chorus. Maybe because they're so in contrast to the vocal line? I dunno. Otherwise, it's a really good song!!!!

My vocal line was written around the guitar chords, which I wrote. You're hearing the keyboard counter-melody over my vocs. I hear it too. Some of the notes do indeed contrast with the vocals. We'll have to work on that when we play it live.

SS

 

[koelling]

Steve: You forgot somebody. (not me)

If you wanna develop a fan base, you know you MUST play out....small bars/open mic night(s), whatever. That's the best way, IMHO, to get exposure. And without exposure, you guys are dead in the water, no matter how great the disc is!

But, you need a few more steady players, still, don'tcha?

I always forget SOMEBODY, LOL. I was just trying to m ake the point that last time we had about 100 plus people on the internet that bought the CD right away and spread the word. It took off like crazy. Our local fans were indeed there, but they totalled about 40 or 50. Right now it's just the opposite.

I know that Portnoy's site is no longer a place that knows the band or remembers me, and that IS a huge loss - but I'm also not going to be the one going over there and spamming us. Neither Jax or me ever go there so it would be blatant spam, and we won't do that.

I think that playing live will definitely help the situation, but, as Sorrell and I were discussing last night, in the long run we have so much fun doing this (writing music) being well known or selling thousands of CDs will never be the most important thing. Who doesn't want the exposure? But that's not why we do this. I just love playing music.

 

[koelling]

Ahh, Rhonda....I think you were referring to Jax. We kind of consider her part of the band, LOL.....but I edited my reply and put both her and Brett in there.

 

[SharkBlack]

If anything is going to hold us back it'll be not playing live. We are lacking the fan base and following that most bands get by playing live.

Very Astute...

For instance, you look at bands like Children Of Bodom and In Flames... Hard working touring bands... They grew exponentally by touring the shit out of the states.
Nothing spreads the word faster....

I know that's a global look at things, but even local or regional touring really gains momentum...

 

[Jax]

Hey Koelling, Kez surfaced over in the thread on PM..I'm gonna tell him to stop by here and say hi

 

[Sorrell]

Also, we need to keep something in mind: A lot of the people who liked our first record will NOT like the new one. The first one was largely, traditional prog. Shadows is a different record altogether.

It's not for prog purists. Prog fans tend to be hyper-crytical. (This should not be news to anyone familiar with DT fans etc.) It's not for those who want pretty, positive, major-key tunes. It's not for those who are afraid to stretch out beyond what is accepted as a specific genre of music. I don't even know what the hell genre we fit into.

All I know is that I love this record. That's why I made it. There will be people outside our tiny little comfort-zone who love it too. Honestly, I make music because I HAVE to. I love music more than life itself. We'll keep on doin' what we're doin'.

Oh yeah...if someone approached me with a HUUUUUGE contract, I would be doin' Bon Jovi rip-off tunes aaaall damn day long!

P.S. I had a funny thought last night (I'm really not going to obsess on this I swear.) My response should have been: "You mean Jon Bon Jovi??? The guy who has sold more records than every band in the entire history of prog music combined???" That would have been funny...to me.

SRS

 

[Jax]

I don't think the Bon Jovi thing was meant to be a slam, I think it was an honest comparison (which Koelling said you guys actually agree with to a certain extent)..all of the comments over there were positive, IMO. So smile, Steve; they think you sound like a very famous musician..not necessarily a bad thing at all.

 

[Sorrell]

I don't think the Bon Jovi thing was meant to be a slam, I think it was an honest comparison (which Koelling said you guys actually agree with to a certain extent)..all of the comments over there were positive, IMO. So smile, Steve; they think you sound like a very famous musician..not necessarily a bad thing at all.

I can't help sounding like him. I just want his damned money!!! That would rock.

I've always had to be very careful not to sound like him. Shit, he was the king of the 80s. I sang many of his tunes in old top-40 bands. I guess some of it just stuck.

Oh well...could be worse. They could say I sound like Warren Zevon.

SRS

 

[Jax]

They could say I sound like Warren Zevon.

 

[stryder]

Koeling wrote:

If anything is going to hold us back it'll be not playing live. We are lacking the fan base and following that most bands get by playing live. The internet will never (as we have proven with this release) give us enough exposure or support to really turn that corner

I said that 5 years ago when I wanted to book you 100 shows a year.

Comparing Roosters vocals to Jon Bon Jovi is the funniest thing I have ever heard. He sounds like the singer of this band called Esucarys from Northern California.

Those chords you are talkiong about are called desonant chords.

JED