BAD SALAD

This 3-song EP follows quickly in the footsteps of their debut album. Yes, Bad Salad are Dream Theater worshipers, but clone the good things and will appeal to those nostalgic for old DT sound before they became stale and boring - very long, but catchy and high-energy songs with diverse parts, moods and lengthy unpredictable instrumental jams, giving everybody a chance to shine. Its also funny how nowadays bands commanding million-dollar budgets can suck at production, but DIY-groups are able to create a balanced sound very pleasant to the ears.

Even if this were a LP, but only those songs were keepers, it would still be an album deserving my well-earned cash. Pity they haven't been heard from since.

Their style of progressive metal is back in full force, as we still get the incredibly complex guitar work, the awesome but never overbearing drums, the pulsating bass lines, and the ethereal and atmospheric keys. This time there is a bit more to the formula, however, as I feel these guys decided to experiment a little bit. Indeed, there are some spacey synth breaks, some islandic passages, and some awesome bass solos that really break through the wall of normal that most progressive metal bands usually decide to erect. Vocalist Denis is also part of this, as he is pretty darn dynamic. His voice is strong with a bit of rasp to it, and that is fine. There are no caterwaulings or pretentiously overbearing highs. In fact, I love this guy's voice, and it is so different than what I've heard.

I think this EP gets better with each track. It opens with the epic "Pain that Binds Us", which is as technical and metal as expected. Next, "Moonlight" reveals the softer, ballad side of the band with a beautifully executed melody. Lastly, "Deep Roots" wows. It is complex in its variety, and also very low key at points. There is nothing normal about it. They experiment, and I think they succeed.

But, now, I want to write a personal note to the band. Dear Bad Salad, Do not be afraid to try new things. I can tell that you did, and you probably wanted to even more. I know how notoriously picky metal fans can be, and how fearful of change and eclecticism they can be. Don't fear them. There are several points during the EP where I could tell certain aspects were held back a bit. At one point, there is some almost wild west style piano, but it gets lost in the mix. Now, I really enjoyed it, but I know metal fans that would think it is dumb. Don't be afraid to bring that to the forefront. That change---that willingness to evolve---is exactly what will keep you on my radar for a long time. That is the attitude that will keep you from becoming another Dream Theater. Sincerely, Jason.

Hold your breath. This small EP is BETTER than all of Dream Theater's new album. Yep. I hope the guys appreciate this comment because it's true. Bad Salad shows more energy and more willingness to experiment. I applaud these guys for an excellent showing, and I'm really looking forward to their next full album.

What you shouldn't expect, however, are DT-like melodic and vocal pop sensibilities. This isn't harsh by any means (although some screaming and "evil robot" vocals make brief appearances), and there are 2 out of 7 slow tracks (which overstay their welcome, just like some DT tracks, by the way) but the focus here is more on technicality than melody. But this is good, technically talented prog metal.

The music on the album is what I´d charachterize as "traditional" progressive metal. Traditional is of course quite the contradictionary term to use about a progressive metal album, but in this case it covers the fact that Bad Salad aren´t about to revolutionize the world of progressive metal with "Uncivilized". However what they do deliver here is one hell of a powerful, well performed, well produced, and well written album. They are first and foremost great composers and the tracks are generally very catchy, which is actually quite the achivement considering that all 7 tracks on the 78:28 minutes long album, are between 6 and 15 minutes long, and that most of them are over 10 minutes long. The tracks are very dynamic featuring both heavy riffs, challenging instrumental parts, memorable choruses, skillful keyboard work and strong rythmic playing too. As mentioned above they don´t necessarily play anything you haven´t heard before, but they do what they do damn well...

...the musicianship are outstanding all the way around. The instrumental part of the music is spot on and lead vocalist Denis Oliveira is incredibly skilled. He is able to deliver both smoth/soft styled vocals when that is needed but also some really raw vocals when the music calls for that. He is a great asset to the band´s music.

"Uncivilized" is overall a very convincing debut album by Bad Salad and it would be wrong to just call them promising because these guys are already at the top of their game delivering quality progressive metal to the people. In other words this doesn´t sound like a debut album to my ears, but rather the work of a seasoned band. I´d be very interested to see what these guys are able to create in the future. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.