Band : Three (3)
Album title : Revisions
Label : Metal Blade
Distributor : Rough Trade
Release date : 23/10/2009
Release : CD

Although I’ve come to know this band by name from raving reviews in a variety of publications, I’ve never had the honour and pleasure to review one of their albums…in fact, I cannot find proof of Concrete Web ever receiving promo material from the band before! Some history first?

This Progressive Rock/ Metal outfit was founded in 1993 as a trio consisting of singer/ guitarist Joey Eppard, his drummer brother Josh, and bassist Chris Bittner. They came under attention of Universal in 1994 after well-received performances at their hometown’s Woodstock festival, and were eventually signed in 1998, but to no avail. What with the label at that time going through several difficult mergers, they hardly had time or money to spend on 3 (also known as Three). In order to grow anyway, the band signed to small Indie label Planet Noise Records, onto which they would release 1999’s Paint By Number, 2003’s Summercamp Niightmare, and 2004’s Wake Pig, along the way managing themselves independently. In 2005 they got noted and signed by Metal Blade, whose first job was to re-issue the Wake Pig album later that same year. In 2007 followed The End Is Begun, and with Revisions the band’s contract with Metal Blade is effectively at an end…but more about this later!
Through their history, the band’s had a couple of line-up changes, the most notable in 1999 when Josh Eppard went to join Coheed And Cambria (a band 3 often shared stages with – he has since left that band as well). In his stead came Chris Gartmann (whom also does backing vocals), and to expand on the band’s sound, they inducted guitarist  Jason Foster…replaced that same year by Billy Ryker, whom also handles extra effects. During 2002-3 3 apparently had some trouble with its bassist, whom saw himself frequently to be replaced by temporary help-out Joe Cuchelo. 2003 was also the year the band cut the umbillical chord and took in Daniel Grimsland as permanent bassist, at the same time hiring Joe Stote as keyboardist & extra percussionist. Last year, the latter was ousted, returning the 3 line-up to a 4-some!

Over the course of their recorded career, 3 has shown itself of true Progressive mind, having elements from outside of what is strictly considered the progressive genre (including R&B, Hip Hop, Folf Rock, Blues, Punk, Reggae, Punk, Psychedelic, Progressive Funk, etc) dominate some of their songs. In Eppard’s own words, this genre-defying diversity is what makes 3 a hybrid band! One of the things which certainly typify this band, is Eppard’s self-taught Flamenco-styled slapping technique on the guitar. Another very evident typical element in the music, is the frontman’s signature high-pitched vocals and the somewhat calm way in which he brings them : no shouting or screaming, but rather a softer kind of singing, which occasionally even brings a certain darkness over some of the songs.

With Revisions being the last album tto be issued through Metal Blade (a new album to be released by their new label Roadrunner is already in preparation for release in 2010), the band found it fortuitous to look at some older songs which never got onto albums (5 from writing sessions in 1998, one each of 2000 and 2001, 3 from 2002, and the last one from 2006), re-record ‘em with the current line-up of the band, and give these “revisions” a second chance (some of the songs were known from bootleg recordings, others were put on-line by dedicated fans), so to speak! Those of you who’ve come to know 3 by their first Metal Blade albums may well be somewhat surprised, because the overall mood on the 11 Revisions songs is a rather serene and calm one, which gives the album overall a somewhat Pop-geared feel! I might add, a highly delectable one!

Whether the more commercial direction is one 3 is gonna maintain on its following album, remains to be seen, and those among you never having come across this band can surely get acquainted well enough with the band by listening to the songs the band posted at myspace.comofficialbandthree (the focus of the songs posted is concentrated somewhat on the The End Is Begun album, but hey, representative enough). Meanwhile, the band’s label is apparently not leaving without promotional means for their current album, as a video for Revisions track “Rabid Animals” is currently in its final stages of being made.

90/100

Tony.