3RDEGREE

2008 has been an important year for New Jersey progressive rock band 3rdegree. After reforming in 2005 and releasing their first album in 11 years, the band has once again started to show off their musical abilities. The band features George Dobbs on lead vocals and keyboards, Robert J. Pashman on bass/vocals, Pat Kliesch on guitar/vocals, and Rob Durham on drums/percussion.

"Narrow-Caster" the newest album features some of the best modern prog out there. Cited as January's Artist of the Month for the eminent progressive rock website, Progarchives, the band's latest release is a treat for anyone looking to listen to something with a little energy and drive.

The album opens with "Apophenia" a song that echoes prog rock greats, Gentle Giant. (The band has actually covered the GG song "Peel the Paint" as well). Ethereal sounding guitars, along with a catchy bass hook and vocal harmonies round out this great opener. Next is "It Works" a song featuring some jazzy piano melodies, smooth relaxed drumming, and some talented organ playing.

"Narrow-Caster" the title track and my favorite off the album. It is somewhat similar to the previous song, but has a more soulful feel and some of the best vocals from George Dobbs on the entire album along with the steady drumbeat that follows the vocals. Following this is "Live with this forever" which has some soaring guitar work and crunching bass. After that we come to epic sounding "Cautionary Tale" which has a Yes sounding tone to it.

"The Proverbial Banana Peel" is probably the most hard rocking of all the songs on the album, especially with its grittier vocals. "Young Once" follows this by taking off some of the edge and relaxing the listener with spacey and relaxing keyboards. "Scenery" is a nice peaceful pastoral song with more awesome vocal harmonies, something I have enjoyed a lot on this album.

"Free for all" is another heavier song with some excellent fuzzy sounding bass playing by bassist Rob Pashman. The final song "The Last Grasp" closes the album and includes some majestic keyboard and dynamic instrumentation from all members of the band. I find it to be an excellent closer to an already powerful album.

In a perfect world, 3rDegree would be signed to a major record label with promotion and would be known as moderate radio stars respected by fellow musicians for their craft. Sort of like Steely Dan. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and 3rDegree is forced to release these prog.rock gems on their own. They even allude to such in the liner notes as being frustrated in the _land of cover bands New Jersey_ in the nineties. Against these elements, we have the art of 3rDegree. You won't hear any long epics a la _Gates Of Delerium_-Yes, nor any Barbarian-ELPs. But you will hear literate rock&roll songwriting on par with Kevin Gilbert/Toy Matinee, bits of Rush, slight Gentle Giant influence, a little Max Webster, flighty side of 10cc, mid-period Split Enz and a vocal delivery at once sounding not unlike Jeff Buckley...the next an aggressive Stevie Wonder. Also, minor jazz flourishes appear here and there. This is the kind of music that will grow on you. A real knack for nuance and detail. As _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ by Nirvana was the theme for a generation, the track _Cautionary Tale_ by 3rDegree could very well be the theme of the 2000s. If you are a political zealot, the lyrics of _Cautionary Tale_ will check your ego at the door. It manages to question ideoligies of both the 'left' and 'right' of the political, religious and moral spectrum without mentioning any names, organizations, beliefs or creed. It doesn't come across as preachy either. Quite profound. The music is incredible too, sounding like no one but themselves. A definitive 5 stars. It's 3rdDegree's _Tom Sawyer_, a defining track for this band. The first 3 tracks _Apophenia_, _It Works_ and _Narrow-Caster_ flow together like a mini-suite. Another highlight. The track that sounds the most influenced by Gentle Giant would have to be _Scenery_ which has a chanting-like vocal along with some atmospheric GG moments a la _His Last Voyage_ or _Memories of Old Days_. This is sure to make my top 5 of 2009. Highly recommended.

At first listen I didn't find this album very appealing. I was searching for instrumental intricacies and somewhat heavy prog. At first i thought the singer sounded like Michael Jackson- Still it lingered in my Mp3 player, and in the casual random play it went growing more and more on me. Finally the song Proverbial babana slip stood out as a favorite, then apophenia, and so on. Now I most admit that i really like most of the album. The thing is that the strong side of the band is the vocal part of the music. Not that the music is flat, the album is vocally driven, and that's not a bad thing. Give it various listen and it turns out very good.

Hello there, I recently ordered Narrow-Caster after long being a fan of 3rDegree, and their CD Human Interest Story in particular. I'll come clean and admit that I'm not a HUGE fan of prog rock in general. I tend towards somewhat eclectic stuff, but in the end I do like catchy melodies, and much prefer great singing to seemingly endless instrumental noodling. There are prog records I highly respect and admire, yet they don't make it off my cd shelf and into my player as often as perhaps they should. So I guess it made sense when I read some other reviews of this CD questioning whether it is sufficiently prog. To be sure, this CD focuses squarely on great songwriting, along with VERY strong vocals and musicianship. But if you're looking for epic songs with multiple movements & wild experimentation, I guess it may not fit the bill. That being said, it is far less predictable than your average pop-rock fare. There are hundreds of surprising moments, such as rhythmic changes and unexpected melodic twists. What keeps Narrow-Caster in heavy rotation in my player is the fact that the songs could be sung along with a single guitar (or keyboard), and would still be a good/great song. The production is outstanding, and the imaginative instrumentation and STELLAR harmonies add a great deal - but if you stripped most of it away it would still be quality stuff. (the only slight exception for me is the song Scenery, which, though good, is my least favorite of the lot, and the only one I'm ever tempted to skip. I feel that the Queenesque harmonies can't quite compensate for the underlying tune not being as interesting as the others. The belting it out vocals at the end add to the feeling that they are trying to make the song more than it naturally is) Otherwise, I never get the sense that the production is a substitute for songwriting, as I do with so much other stuff that I hear. Did I mention that George Dobbs is an INCREDIBLE singer? Well, perhaps I should. I'd pay to listen to him sing nursery rhymes. His vocals are ridiculously versatile, going from a scream to a whisper and anything in between with great ease. His note range is impressive, but more so there is just some indescribable quality to his voice that sets him apart. The rest of the band are no slouches either, each with his own virtuosic chops. If you are on the fence about buying this CD, let me state for the record that the song Cautionary Tale is well worth the small investment (heck, the first 7 seconds alone!) Other faves include Live with This Forever (try to get this one out of your head in a timely manner - oh, and lest I forget..cool bass harmonics Robert..and clever transition at 4:45 while I'm at it), It Works (I'm a sucker for dissonance), Narrow-Caster (admittedly jeopardizing the progressive label - but ever so catchy) & Young Once (ok, this on IS undeniably prog at least from 2:41 on :) Well, I could really ramble on if I start mentioning all the cool stuff on this recording. I recommend that you get it and discover them for yourself! -Doug in Vermont

I'm always eager to hear new progressive music. Although 3rdegree have been around for quite some time, they're new to my ears. So, when given the opportunity to give their new album, Narrow Caster, I jumped at the chance.

As a whole, there's no denying that this band is wildly gifted. Blending different styles into a cohesive sound for the band cannot be an easy task, but they seem to pull it off. Songs like Apophenia and Free For All maintains an almost King Crimson-esque feel and groove, with growling vocals mixing with softer passages, changing time signatures and intricate drum sequences and fuzzy guitars. It Works to me sounds like something off Porcupine Tree's albums. Then the title track catches me off guard and to my ears sounds like 80's Alan Parsons.

A fellow collab begged the question if this was prog or not. To be perfectly honest, I'm conflicted with the same question. I'm not saying that every prog band requires an epic; however. it is nice to the ears of a progressive rock fan to have that 11-25/30 minute epic in there. Narrow Caster, although pleasant to the ears, seems to be missing a certain key ingredient for me. It's a nice rock album, but not sure if it's a nice progressive rock album. Yes, I've equated them to King Crimson, Alan Parsons and Porcupine Tree and maybe that's where it falls short with me. I'm not a King Crimson fan, nor an Alan Parsons fan. I do like Porcupine Tree, but I find them to be more alternative than progressive. Maybe that's where my problem lies.

To wrap this up, there's nothing to dislike about Narrow Caster. Nicely constructed songs with an edge and melody. It just would've been nice for some ingredients in the batter that makes my progressive pastry extra tasty and a feast for the senses.

It's been a pleasure listening to this cd the last week or so. This album is like a glass of cold water on a hot day,yeah it's very refreshing.Lets see now,we've got these well crafted songs with intelligent,clever and at times humerous lyrics.We've got 4 guys who play their instruments very well, and a singer who ties it all together with his wide array of vocal styles. "Apophenia" opens with this heavy soundscape that sounds fantastic as the rough vocals arrive.The chorus is a different story with the lighter sound and smooth vocals.The contrasts continue.Love the dreamy interlude 2 1/2 minutes in.It kicks back in a minute later.Passionate vocals end it. "It Works" is jazzy to start with light drums and piano melodies.Reserved vocals join in.The sound does get fuller and check out the bass and organ before 2 minutes.A catchy sound with backup vocals before 4 minutes is a nice touch. "Narrow-Caster" took me by surprise the first time i heard it.That word refreshing comes to mind.This is such an infectious track with this cool groove to it.I like the tone of the guitar solo 1 1/2 minutes in.This is a song that brightens my mood. "Live With This Forever" has some good bottom end to it and i like the organ runs as well.Vocals before a minute.Check out the snarly bass(hi Robert) after 2 1/2 minutes and i like the guitar before 3 1/2 minutes. "Cautionary Tale" opens with a cool vocal arrangement before a good beat takes over.The vocals shine as usual but the rhythm section really grabs my attention on this one.Check out the drum work after 4 minutes to the end! "The Proverbial Banana Peel" is a nasty tune where they get down and dirty.Heavy riffs come and go.I like when they slow it down after 2 1/2 minutes but the sludge continues. "Young Once" is one of my favourites both lyrically and musically.Vocals and strummed guitar to start before the sound gets fuller on the chorus.The guitar makes some noise before 2 1/2 minutes followed by a spacey calm.Time for reflection. "Scenery" is my least favourite although the song gets better as it plays out for me. "Free For All" opens with some mean bass lines before the drums and guitar join in.Vocals follow.The chorus is lighter.The vocals are really impressive during the heavy sections. "The Last Gasp" opens with fragile and theatrical vocals with a pulsating rhythm.The sound and the vocals both get fuller.The contrast continues.Some orchestral-like sounds before 3 minutes. A solid 4 stars and thanks for the drink guys.

NARROW-CASTER is a good album. But is it really 'Prog'?

This is something I have scratched my head over for the last couple of days as I listened to this album. What makes something progressive? Well, anyone who knows me fairly well should also know that I am very open when it comes to the definition of 'progressive'. I see progressive as anything that is beyond the norm. But how much of this album is truly made up of unorthadox songwriting? From what I'm hearing, 3rDegree has more in common with Maroon 5 than King Crimson.

That being said, it should be noted that NARROW-CASTER is a very good album, as I said, and anyone looking for an easy listening gem will be more than happy with it, but as a Progressive Rock record, it feels a little watered down.

Was that aspect of the record intentional? Perhaps, but if so, one must wonder what type of audience 3rDegree is really aiming for. As far as I can hear, based on this record at least, this band would be more then welcome in the same demographic that listens to Baranaked Ladies or REM. Nothing is wrong with this at all, butwith all the attention NARROW-CASTER has been getting from people on this site, I was expecting more Prog than Pop, and what I got was the exact opposite.

Not to worry, though. The good news is, the musicianship on this album is amazing, the production values rival anything that pro labels are churning out, and the music, while much more accessible than I was expecting, does sound very inspired and heartfelt. As long as a band plays truthful music that comes from their hearts, it can sound radio-friendly and I will still enjoy it.

Perhaps it is a bit unfair to these guys to judge them based only on this album, as I have not heard the first two yet (But I plan on investing in them soon), but from what I hear on this record, the progressive moments are few and far between. Though the outro to ''Young Once'' is still probably my favorite moment on the record and is undeniably progressive and weird. If more moments like this had been present on the albunm, I would have liked it even more, I'm sure.

I'm not trying to knock this album or 3rDegree themselves in any way, but I was seeing these glowing reviews and hearing all this wonderful hype about this record that I suppose I did something I rarely let myself get awy with: I got my hopes up. So, with pre-conceived notions on what type of record I thought NARROW-CASTER was going to be, I got my hopes up and ultimately was ever-so-slightly dissapointed with what I heard. I don't know, it just seemed like not that many risks were taken after all. No song went over six minutes in length, and it seemed like only a handful of the tracks even devianted from the traditional 'verse-chorus-verse-chorus' formula, and that is a real shame, because I can hear the talent within this record's confinements, and had they been a little more willing to deviate from the norm on more frequent occasions, it could have come to fruition more than I feel it did.

Then again, 4/4 time signatures, traditional song structures and easily-digestible melodies when combined with prog ends up becoming the very defenition of what the archives consider 'Crossover Prog' to be, so in that sense, no band has fit the bill for Crossover more snugly than 3rDegree.

I seem to be the first Collaborator to give this album anything less than a 4 rating, so perhaps everyone else is hearing something that I'm not. Ultimately, though, as with everything, this comes down to personal taste, and if you like the more experimental and unusual side of Prog, then NARROW- CASTER may not tickel your fancy as much, but there are still many magical moments on the record, and certainly I am glad that I have heard this band. I feel very fortunate to have it in my collection; it just isn't as 'prog' as I expected.

Three stars, and it's still an album worth listening to. Check it out.

— First review of this album —

A debut ahead of its time, while still strangely nostalgic.

The World In Which We Live was the cassette-only debut by New Jersey based 3RDegree, and listening to it really makes one wonder how this band didn't get further right off the bat. Clearly it was hard to find an audience back in the early 90s before the advent of the internet, because this is a very niche album which will appeal to a certain group, and appeal to them well. In the early stages of the band they were a three piece, lacking singer George Dobbs (who would join them for the next outting), but what the band can do even at this point is highly impressive. While the band certainly have not found 'their sound' with this release it makes for a very interesting listen which is almost 'repeat-worthy'.

As with many debuts, the influences on the band are very audible here. Unlike many other debuts, though, hearing the influences loud and clear really is not a problem. Founding member Robert James Pashman often lists Rush as one of his main influences, and it really shines through in the compositions of the songs and in the way he plays his bass on this effort. As with many of Rush's mid-80s efforts there's a strong emphasis on pressing synths and a driving bassline that's really quite lively and dominant. Pat Kliesch also plays his guitar in a similar fashion to the 80s-minimal-nearly-reggae-rock style as did Lifeson or The Police, and yet somehow it all comes together so well without producing any kind of music that might turn off the average prog listener. Even the more catchy songs have very impressive instrumental parts backing them. Bury The Button is a great example of this and likely one of the album's best standouts - floating, yet sharp synths meld with the freeflow of Pashman's bass to create something very much worth listening to.

As for the vocals, they really work well on this release. Even though the band decided to take a step in another direction when they hired George Dobbs to do vocals on their following releases - and he is a fantastic singer - Pashman does an ample job with the mic on this release. He has limitations and he knows them, but his style of vocals almost (now) brings to mind something of a more rock oriented Phideaux as his voice is somewhat quirky, and a little creepy when he wants it to be. If you're worried about a potential lack of vocal power that's apparent on later albums just know that you have nothing to fear.

One of the striking things about this album is its release date. This was released back in 1993 and listening to it now it doesn't really seem too dated. There's parts of this album that other bands have since been praised for doing, such as the Gentle Giant approach of harmonized vocals in a more modern way as shown on the short but harshly effective Dancing Over Scarlet Mist, something that bands like Spock's Beard would be praised for reviving years later.

The album also has an immense amount of charm which really makes you want to come back for more and more listens. Songs like Breathing Room mix a good deal of heavy riffs with more light vocal passages to bring to mind something like the better of the 80s Blue Oyster Cult discography while others such as Is There Anyone? tells a memorable story overtop of well played music. Hopeful makes the best out of some very abrupt speed changes which are almost spine-chilling when you're listening to the song in anticipation. The Lit Window is another excellent standout that uses some very nostalgic keyboards to bring in a lush intro which is joined by some emotive guitars and a great vocal performance.

The album has since been remastered onto cd and is available on the band's website, but they also added in a few goodies. The original album was only 10 tracks long, but the band have added a plethora of bonus tracks which are excellent when taken separately from the flow of the album. These are the kind of bonus tracks which people want to hear - they're not just demos of the songs on the album or really bad songs that were cut for a reason, these a full fledged songs which simply didn't make it onto the original album because of spacial constraints. There's one song that's repeated, the early demo of Come My Way (which didn't make it onto the album) which is in two versions, 1990 and 1991, but they're so different that even played back to back it's difficult to hear similarities. There's also a Todd Rundgren cover track that appeared on a cover album called Still There's More some years later that the band added to the list to make it available to the fans who don't want to hunt down the whole cover album. A great choice of extras give this particular compilation just that added boost.

While the album does have a lot of elements that did not work for other bands during their 'slower periods' (depending on how you see the music, anyways) - they all seem to work here for 3RDegree. This debut album is highly impressive, to say the least, and while later albums like Human Interest Story would see the band as more mature in their writing and Narrow-Caster would find them as more musically accomplished this album is certainly worth checking out for those who enjoy the band on any level. Highly recommended if you've ever like an 80s Rush album, particularly Grace Under Pressure or Power Windows - 3.5 stars out of 5! Perhaps not essential, but certainly worth a look.

— First review of this album —

...and it feels so good.

It took a while for 3RDegree to find a world in which prog music had an audience, and after breaking up in the late 90s they finally decided to get back together to record their recent opus, Narrow-Caster and in tandem also released this concert collection. What a release this is! If ever you've taken the slightest bit if interest to te music of 3RDegree then this is definitely a release to obtain. a 2-CD set of both the reunion concerts (one acoustic and one electric) along with a DVD including material from both concerts, interviews, a photo gallery and band bios for each member. That's about 4 hours of stuff, and it's all top notch to boot.

The DVD really is a treat, not to mention that it gives a nice amount of insight into the band. It's also not just your typical concert dvd - in order to keep your eyes from going crossed after watching it for too long (as some 3-hour concerts will do to you) the setlist switches between the two venues and incorporates interview footage into the middle to give some more info about each tune, the writing process behind it and the personal thoughts of each member - and sometimes even just different stories from different members about what they've been doing since the band broke up or how they got back together. It all makes for a very intriguing viewing, especially when paired with the very excellent performances! The acoustic set takes place in one of the member's living rooms to a very small crowd with one grand piano and the rest of the band cramped on the stairs - yet still they're able to pull off some excellent performances. It would appear that the limitations to movement for the band really just makes them really focus on put having a good sound, and some of the more ''delicate'' songs like the instrumental Black Orchid or the sentimental I have a real punch to them which may have been missing during a 'larger' performance.

The electric part of the set is probably where the band shines the most though. It seems that even after all these years the boys still like to just rock out because it's the heavier songs where the band really shine. Apophenia is given an excellent rendition thanks to George's powerful voice and an added 'crunch' to Pat Kliesch's guitar. Free For All is another song which just sounds 'that much better' live, George Dobbs' synth tone sounding even more sharp and mean as the rest of the band tear into what they describe as ''progressive grunge - if there ever was such a thing''.

Other standout moments on the album are simply the ones that stray the furthest from the song's studio counterparts. On especially surprising and amazing moment is the moment where 13 is about to turn into Mistakes but instead takes a turn into Gentle Giant territory as the band switches seamlessly into Dancing Over Scarlet Mist from their debut album. Nice! Another song from the first album which ends up being a nice surprise is the normally frantic title cut, The World In Which We Lived converted into a peaceful and acoustically relaxing number - a very big change indeed.

And then there's the fact that the set has just so many unreleased songs on it. As can be expected from a band that revived many of their old tunes to make their newest album, there's a lot which simply have never made an album. Not the the tunes are bad in any means, but one can tell that they simply wouldn't 'fit' on any given album. Home In The Clouds is probably the most memorable of the bunch and is therefore luckily on the dvd in the acoustic set. Pleasant voicing from Dobbs makes this one simply excellent. Of course, most prog fans will be happy to know that they pay tribute to one of their biggest inspirations when, during the electric set the band delves into Peel The Paint, originally by Gentle Giant - and does so surprisingly well! An ambitious task, especially when the Giant are regarded as some of the most technically advanced prog that came out of the classic era, but 3RDegree covers the tune with ease.

This really is the epitome to the description, ''An Excellent addition to any prog music collection'' since you have a ton of music, some great visuals, and even cover material from classic prog musicians. A lot of DVDs have extra stuffing on them which can only be called 'fluff', but this one is simply full of valuable material. If you've ever liked an album by 3RDegree then this set is definitely recommended - 4 stars out of 5! 3RDegree are back, and with a vengeance, apparently.

This third release by US act 3rdegree is an interesting one.

Musically we're in the heartland of what was once coined art rock; with strong leanings towards the art pop division. The overall song structure is one of chorus and verse, with some atmospheric insertions now and then, melodies and moods are given the limelight while the guitar in particular is mixed down in the overall soundscape.

Emotional and at times quite melodramatic vocal delivery is a key feature, and flowing and at times quirky segments with backing vocals intermixed with lead vocals is a common feature throughout.

In many ways this one reminds me of US act Man On Fire, and their third release Habitat in particular. The sound and mood are quite similar in many places; but where MOF spice their compositions with elements from pop music and Neo prog, 3rdegree have chosen to insert more adventurous elements in their compositions; dampened dissonances, elements from jazz, heavily distorted guitars way back in the mix...and generally with a stronger leaning towards avant-garde elements; but carefully used and most times placed back in the mix as nuances and textures rather than dominant effects taking over the parts where these effects are utilized.

A strong release overall, well worth checking out if Art Pop of the more adventurous sort sounds like a good thing.