THREE

I was a bit disappointed though, to find that this album (as the title suggests) revisits old material. So right off the bat I was expecting something a little less progressive or coherent than The End Is Begun.

Well, I was right, but it doesn't seem to be a bad thing after all. The result is an album that's much easier to digest than TEIB. At first listen it's really just a straightforward rock album - but you'll find that 3 has managed to hide plenty of their unique flourishes between the driving verses and catchy choruses. One moment you'll be bobbing your head, humming along with Joey, when an unexpectedly awesome acoustic break leads into the next section (check out around 2:30 in Rabid Animals).

One thing I'm still undecided on is the production. It sounds somehow less professional than their previous album... Not as much "pop" or shine. In one way though, it creates a much more atmospheric and natural sound.

I'd like to do a track-by-track review, but maybe I will add that at a later date. I'll conclude by saying that while I hope 3 continues on a more progressive direction in the future, this is some great, very listenable music that is much less metal-oriented than The End Is Begun.

3, the crossover band from Woodstock, really hit a home run for me with their last release, "The End is Begun". After hearing it, I scrambled to purchase the previous release, Wake Pig. My overall impression?

Meh.

3's strength lies in their ability to mix ambitious prog songs with a pop rock sensibility to produce an infectiously catchy sound that appeals to both fans of prog and mainstream rock. My beef with this album is that it simply sounds too ordinary and poppy after listening to The End is Begun (if you are just starting out with 3, I highly suggest you buy that album first).

The opener, Alien Angel, is a catchy pop rock song that quickly became stale to me. There simply isn't too much in this song below the surface. Although a pretty little surface it is.

Next comes Monster, a heavier, proggier song that is my favorite from Wake Pig. A Latin groove drives this song along. This is really the highlight of the album for me. Very catchy as well.

The title track is a grower. At first, I didn't think much of it, but the melodies eventually seeped into my brain after about 3 listens. A great, marching song with an epic chorus. Love it. It segues into a great Joey Eppard guitar solo, Bramfatura. Jaw-dropping guitarist, great composition.

Two other songs that deserve mention: One Way Town - not a spot of prog here to my ears, but a really catchy and fun song. Where's Max - the proggiest (or should I just say "oddest") song here. Very offbeat, which is exactly the kind of thing I'm into most of the time.

Other than the aforementioned songs, I really don't believe anything else on the album deserves mention. A pity, really...the high points here are high indeed, but the rest of the album is simply average and doesn't catch my attention at all. A solid album, nonetheless, and a nice precursor to their excellent album to come.

Truly awesome? That's not.

3 is a band that was introduced to me through Mike Portnoy's Progressive Nation tour. I went out and bought their latest release, and at first, was underwhelmed. I simply didn't see anything in this album that made it interesting.

But it was a grower indeed. After a lengthy period in my car's CD changer (which is how I listen to most new albums), I realized that 3 was something special. Joey Eppard's unique vocals, coupled with his incredible and unorthodox acoustic guitar work, realyl give this band a sound all their own. The songwriting here is very, very strong. There are moments that remind me of Coheed and Cambria, of course, but there are also songs (such as Live Entertainment and Bleeding Me Home) that remind me of the Beatles for whatever reason. This band has a very strong, pop-influenced sound that should please fans of both mainstream and progressive rock.

In addition to the poppier sound, there are also very beautiful acoustic/classical guitar parts from Eppard, who has a unique flamenco-slap style. 3 also has a heavy side, as evidenced on songs like The End is Begun and my personal favorite, My Divided Falling.

If you like a solid tune, you can't go wrong with this band. They write very accessable music, but they never cease to interest or surprise listeners of prog throughout this album. If there is any justice in the world, they should be huge (at least in the prog world) in an album or two.

Four stars for this solid release.

After a pretty impressive introduction to Three's music by way of their great album 'The End Is Begun,' I was interested to explore more of the band's repetoire. After having done many an internet search, it seemed the best course to pursue was to buy this album, 'Wake Pig.' Having also been previleged enough to see this band live in concert (one of the most exciting concert performances of my life) I recognized from the track listings that the band had also played quite a few songs at the concert from this album.

I have to say, I'm not sure why there is great wave of criticism calling it nothing more than 'non- essential.' In my eye, this is the quintessential Three album, and the most consistent release of theirs yet.

While 'The End Is Begun' had some songs that I really did not enjoy, or found boring, this album is well stocked with good songwriting. As far as it goes altogether as an album, 'The End Is Begun' was a bit more thoughtfully composed but song-by-song, 'Wake Pig' is the victor. There are a few weaker tracks on the album (although the only truly annoying track is the inane 'Where's Max' which is nothing short of stupid) but these small shortfalls are balanced out by a handful of exceptional songs, including the trademark acoustic instrumental of Joey Eppard (that put him on the map as a guitarist) 'Bramfatura' and the epic finale 'Amaze Disgrace.'

For others such as myself whose first experience with the band Three was through 'The End Is Begun,' I dare you to try out 'Wake Pig' with an open mind.

I love the beginning two tracks that actually fit together in my mind to make up two parts of one song. "The World Is Born of Flame" begins with some fast acoustic guitar playing that was incredible to watch live. This leads right into the title track, where things get a little heavier as electric guitar is added to the mix. I really enjoy Joey Eppard's voice, he is very soulful and can hit some really high notes. "Battle Cry" is a fun song with some quirky guitar interplay that can be quite fun to listen to. "All That Remains" is one of the poppier songs of the album, but that by no means makes it a bad song. It has a catchy chorus that sticks in my head after listening to it. "My Divided Falling" starts off with some awesome funky bass playing before the metal edge comes in through the electric guitar. This song is awesome, one of the best of the album. The main riff of the song played during the verses is just killer. One of the things I love about this band is the way they can mix rock and funk, and this song is one of the funkier ones on the album.

"Serpents In Disguise" is another fun, catchy song similar to "All That Remains". I'm shocked that these guys aren't played on modern rock radio because their songs have great hooks and meld pop and hard rock so well. Tracks 7-9 is the weakest section of the album for me. These songs aren't necessarily bad, they just aren't at the same high quality as the rest of the album and sometimes can be a bit boring and skippable. "Diamond In The Crush" is a personal favorite of mine, and I have no idea why. I just love the great beat and guitar riff that is laid down, it is a great little song. It isn't one of the most popular songs from this album, but I actually love "Shadow Play". it is a slow song with mostly acoustic guitar and Joey Eppard's voice. This track showcases why I love Eppard's voice, it is soulful and beautiful. "These Iron Bones" is a fun rocker before the exciting conclusion to come. "The Last Day" is probably the most progressive song on this album, and I will admit it took me a while to get into, but now I think it is a highlight on the album. The vocal melody is extremely unique and is accompanied by some great acoustic guitar at the beginning. It creates for a fairly haunting effect that works well and leaves quite an impression on the listener after hearing it. It ends with an interesting percussion section as the music softly fades away. A very interesting song and unlike anything else on the album.

My verdict on this album is that it is an excellent rock album with some progressive leanings. There are definitely some Rush and Dream Theater influences at play, but most notable is the similarity to Coheed and Cambria. Every member of the band is an excellent musician and I'd say the standout performer of the release is Joey Eppard with his soulful singing and flamenco style guitar playing. All in all, this album is a joy to listen to and is very consistent all the way through. I highly recommend it to those who don't mind more straightforward rock music with little progressive elements thrown in.

Aside from Coheed and Cambria, you are unlikely to find a band who appear so adept at fusing the catchiest of hooklines with a dark and complex sound. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world of 3, and their latest album 'The End Is Begun'. Led by frontman Joey Eppard, an overwhelmingly menacing atmosphere is maintained throughout the entire album; with extremely competent guitar arrangements and superb vocal contrasts. The music highlights a sublime haunting beauty, which allows the listener to at once to identify with the distinct feel to the band's music.

There is a sense of fun present in their work too, and 'Live Entertainment' is an excellent example of that. An infectious melody, but nonetheless a subtext running between the lines, 3 let the music and vocal delivery do the talking, in a remarkably clever way. And so this is the case throughout anywhere on 'The End Is Begun'. Sometimes the lyrics are suggestive enough to imply the darkness behind them on their own, such as in 'All That Remains', but often the instrumentation, in a delightfully poignant and individual way, enhances the depth of the words. The unisons of the rapidly picked guitar riffs between acoustic and electric guitars, and the exotic percussive input from the gifted Joe Stote are methods which enable one to understand that there is more to 3's music than meets the ear first time round.

Perhaps aside from the choice of somewhat uninviting guitar tones in a few brief areas (and that is a purely subjective matter, anyway) and a droop of intensity towards the end of the record, this is truly stunning work. The lyrics are engaging, the band is competent, and the tracks are varied and dynamic. As the vast majority of the songs take their cue from a radio - friendly format, this may discourage the prog purists out there. The music is by no means an immense challenge either, but Three have produced a unique, modern and intriguing release here, and have achieved everything one could ask for in a progressive album. Innovative, sophisticated and succinct, this is a breath of fresh air, and well worth any prog fan's attention. A terrific record.

(4.3 stars)

As I said, the style of music on here is mostly alternative rock with some metal influences. 3 has drawn a lot of talk for sounding like Coheed and Cambria, but I think such talk really ends with this album. They have really developed a unique sound here and is growing and developing at a really rapid pace. As others have mentioned, the most notable person in 3 is vocalist/guitarist Joey Eppard. Saying that he's a beast on the acoustic guitar might be an understatement. The guy really has serious chops, and I enjoy listening to the way he handles each song. Chris Gartmann's drumming is also fairly interesting, but it's more in the way he throws in subtle things such as an interesting fill or roll every now and then.

I know some have said that the first half is the stronger half of the album, and I agree. The first six songs are some of the most interesting and energy-filled songs in the band's discography. Although unlike many others, I don't think that energy flounders enough in the second half that it hurts the album. To be honest, the whole album isn't filled completely with nothing but prog songs, although I supposed that's why the band is in Crossover instead of, say, Heavy Prog. But The End is Begun is of such high quality that I can't find a good enough reason to not give it 5 stars. I might even go so far as to call this album perfect, but I suppose that's a matter of taste. If you're fairly open-minded and can take some alternative rock with your prog, definitely check this out.

The first time I heard about the band Three was at the ProgNation '08 tour, in which they opened for Opeth and Dream Theater. At the very beginning of the show, people were sitting down, paying half- attention to the performance and discussing amongst each other about how excited they were to see Opeth and Dream Theater after Three had played. After a few songs, it was evident that this band was something special, and it appeared as though the band had finally won over the crowd. People were cheering, and there was a great energy injected into the atmosphere. As Joey Eppard (the singer and virtuosic acoustic guitarist) went into his 'Bramfatura' jam, I was blown away, and felt that were was something really powerful and memorable at work here. By the end of Three's medley finale, the entire crowd was on their feet, and the cheering almost drowned out the instruments themselves! Even after the entire concert was over and people were clearing out of the venue, I could hear people still fawning over that fantastic performance.

With that in mind, Three truly is a fantastic discovery. They have a very good prog-rock sound, mixed with some of the best acoustic work I've ever heard. Joey Eppard's acoustic guitar work is actually the most mind-blowing part of the band's work, and that's definitely saying something. As an acoustic guitarist, he's one of the most original and innovative guitarists playing today.

While I don't think 'The End Is Begun' is the progressive masterpiece that some people make it out to be, it's an excellent work that's sure to attract more fans to this underground band.

The songs are all decent (at the very least) and the first two songs (the duology 'The Word Is Born Of Flame' and the title track 'The End Is Begun') form together to make a really fantastic opener. While I'm definitely into the sound that the band has to offer, it would have been nice to hear even more of Eppard's acoustic work.

I do love this album, and there is a great use of melody on the record. However, there just feels like there's something missing to it, and I honestly don't know what. While excellent, it's just never crossed me as being an absolute masterpiece. Three is a band with more than enough potential to write and record a masterpiece, but 'The End Is Begun' just falls short of the masterful quality. In terms of enjoyment however, it's a great album and fans of progressive rock and acoustic guitarwork should love this.

It's no surprise for those who know me, but Three's The End is Begun is one of my favorite records, and something very unique among modern music as far as I'm concerned. I honestly think, having evolved to where they are, they are a very accomplished band, even if bordering on the fringes of prog, and that if they continue in the direction of their most recent album, Joey Eppard will become an icon of many classically-trained guitarists and could pave a new wave of guitarists of this breed. All that being said however, the band still has quite some way to go before they can be properly talked about in progressive circles.

The lineup here consists of Joey Eppard and his brother, Joey Eppard (who left after this album for Coheed and Cambria's drummer), and Christopher Bittner handling most of the instrumental duties on here, with a healthy plethora of some 4 other guest musicians. All the musicians are quite competent, especially Joey Eppard and his classical finger-picking guitar playing. This the songs are all fairly strong here, they could stand a bit more maturing though, which will come later in the band's career though. The album also has a pretty strong alternative rock leaning to it, with touches of experimenting. It's also quite mellow throughout but has appropriate moments of slightly more energy. While they're enjoyable if you can appreciate that sort of thing, there isn't really any aspect of this album that I could say makes it progressive rock. That aspect of the band's sound has yet to manifest itself, not really until Wake Pig does it become very strong and noticeable.

While this may not be progressive rock, I still enjoy it quite a bit. It's a fun album to listen to, like I said, if you can appreciate this type of music, but if not, then I would recommend starting with The End is Begun. It's the band's strongest and most progressive output as of yet anyway. If you like the rest of the band's output then check this out. Unless you like the sound of modern alternative rock, this might turn you off from the Three. 3 stars, although this is quite frankly enjoyable when I'm in the mood for it.