Used [Underbody] The Prophet Stands Alone
Defined Records 2002
By Russell Garwood
Used was formed in the post-grunge mid-nineties, when friends J.Blundo and Justin Dagle decided most modern music was lacking creativity. The duo wanted to help change this and affect the future of heavy music. Bill Jansen joined the band in 2000 and debut album "The Prophet Stands Alone" was released in late 2001. The band has since changed names to Underbody.
The bands music is grunge and metal-influenced, guitar-strong rock; they could be described as a less groove-laden Engine. The drums are straightforward, but add structure to the generally slow songs. The crunching guitars are relatively clean and largely chord-based, leaving the melody to the vox. The bass is reasonably far back in the mix but supports the guitars well, for the most part closely following them. The vocals are sung but raw, with a non-processed organic feel that suits the music.
Standouts include short acoustic interlude, Transition, the eight minute 3:57 for its slow but pounding atmosphere, the downcast, reflective 32 Leaves which gradually builds into a crescendo before breaking down again to acoustic guitar, and the similarly melancholic 31 Leaves.
The artwork for this release is also of a relatively high standard, as is the production, which is clear but maintains the raw feel present in the music. There are a few problems, however. The music can soon feel repetitive - there is little variation and it all has a similar sound and feel, which can lead to monotony. There is also relatively little to separate each track so the album merges into one, drawn out song (not necessarily a problem, if it wasnt for the music dragging). Nevertheless, The Prophet Stands Alone is a competently written and performed debut, and with the development bound to come through touring and writing further material, Underbody are likely to have a bright future.
Defined Records 2002
By Russell Garwood
Used was formed in the post-grunge mid-nineties, when friends J.Blundo and Justin Dagle decided most modern music was lacking creativity. The duo wanted to help change this and affect the future of heavy music. Bill Jansen joined the band in 2000 and debut album "The Prophet Stands Alone" was released in late 2001. The band has since changed names to Underbody.
The bands music is grunge and metal-influenced, guitar-strong rock; they could be described as a less groove-laden Engine. The drums are straightforward, but add structure to the generally slow songs. The crunching guitars are relatively clean and largely chord-based, leaving the melody to the vox. The bass is reasonably far back in the mix but supports the guitars well, for the most part closely following them. The vocals are sung but raw, with a non-processed organic feel that suits the music.
Standouts include short acoustic interlude, Transition, the eight minute 3:57 for its slow but pounding atmosphere, the downcast, reflective 32 Leaves which gradually builds into a crescendo before breaking down again to acoustic guitar, and the similarly melancholic 31 Leaves.
The artwork for this release is also of a relatively high standard, as is the production, which is clear but maintains the raw feel present in the music. There are a few problems, however. The music can soon feel repetitive - there is little variation and it all has a similar sound and feel, which can lead to monotony. There is also relatively little to separate each track so the album merges into one, drawn out song (not necessarily a problem, if it wasnt for the music dragging). Nevertheless, The Prophet Stands Alone is a competently written and performed debut, and with the development bound to come through touring and writing further material, Underbody are likely to have a bright future.
