SCENE - Serving The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame City And Northeast Ohio - Cleveland, OH

January 22-28, 1998 - Northeast Ohio Vol. 29 No. 3 - Over 250,000 Readers Weekly - ISSN #1064-6116 - JANUARY 22-28, 1998 - Vol. 29 - No. 3

THE BRASS

There are only a few things that are guaranteed in life. It's guaranteed that although we in Cleveland hardly ever see it, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. And it's guaranteed that I-77 will be jammed up just past the 480/77 bridge at 8:15 every morning.

Here's another guarantee. Listening to THE BRASS causes excess motion of some sort. If you're seeing them live, you'll find yourself tapping your toes and pumping your fist. If you listen to it in your car, as sure as Sonny Bono was a bad skier, you'll no doubt find yourself exceeding the speed limit.

In a musical community that finds most bands trying desperately to create an identity and sound that is completely their own, a band like the Brass stands out as a rare jewel. Honestly, everything about their music has been done before. They are a Southern rock band playing driving, riff-heavy hard rock. Plain, simple and fun -- these are the characteristics of this band. What they lack in originality, they more than make up for in attitude and energy. Both are highlighted in the raucous rants of vocalist Ernest Robert Boetz, who attacks with a sizzling warble, unique only in its combination of other famed tones. While he never takes center stage in the band, his presence accents the party vibe on cuts like "Viper" and "The Mask."

It's easy to see why Boetz doesn't grab the lion's share of the attention in the Brass. This is guitar rock, and guitarist M.R. Lucky Forrester provides the umph time and time again. Forrester knows how to rock. Cuts like "Miss Hell" and "Wild Winged" showcase a crunchy, gritty sound permeated by the occasional solo to keep the material speeding along. At other times, such as on "Fortune," Forrester teams wth Boetz to put forth a blues vibe that even the most hardcore blues fan would appreciate. Maybe playing rock guitar is in his genes (his brother Rhett was in the '70s/'80s band Riot), or maybe he is just extraordinary at portraying emothion through his guitar playing. Whatever the case is, Forrester rules on THE BRASS.

The rhythm section of this band is equally impressive. Drummer Chuck Rogers is proclaimed as "the baddest f**king drummer on the planet." Well, that's not exactly true, but he does a very solid job playing what would have to be considered simplistic materila. The bulk of his playing is basic 4/4 timekeeping, with only the occasional flurry bursting through the mis, such as on "Wild Winged." As for bassist Justin Senker, his playing is almost completely wash out of the mix. While that leaves the bulk of the material lacking a strong bottom end, the nature of the material doesn't really call for it.

Again, this is a guitar band, meaning that the guitars do all the talking with the rest of the band basically laying the foundation for the guitars to shine on. While there is nothing fancy here, it works.

As long as there is music there will always be a place for raw, straightforward rockers like the Brass. Listening to a band like this, it's easy to see why diehards live by the creed, "Long live rock and roll."

It's still a fun way to live.

Chris Akin