| CD REVIEW Easyway |
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Band : Easyway Oh my…here’s for one of the understatements of the decade: Portuguese Rock band Easyway has gone through a very considerably and positive progression during its career! I mean, from a musical standpoint the signs of evolution were already there in the band’s output on CD, which saw the guys go from a very good Melodic Punk Rock act (earlier work) to a real good Melodic Rock act with Punk influences (check their most recent before this, 2006’s Can You Keep A Secret, review by former collegue Trik posted 09/12/2006)…but who could have expected the marvel the quartet had in store next? As you can see from the caption above, this release comes as both a CD and a DVD, and really it’s the DVD that warrants our foremosst attention. Because what’s on it is not just another Rockumentary relating a band’s history, or some concert put to video…no, it’s a actual movie put to music, with a story conceived and put to script by the band’s drummer Danilo Warick. Not just a simple rape-murder-revenge-live with the consequence type of movie, but a flick with an ingenious twist in the story. One the viewer cannot fathom until you actualy get towards the end of the movie, and in order to not spoil the surprise for you I shall not divulge any more of the story than I already have! The script is really innovative in the fact that there’s actually no dialogue, the story expressed with images, music, and narrator Troy Perlic, telling some of the main character’s thought in a somewhat grave voice. A big thumbs up to Danilo, whom produced the film while at all times involving everyone working on the project in the creative process. Another big thumbs up for the band as a whole who, once they had Danilo’s script in their hands, understood they had to work slightly different from their usual way, making songs to fit the movie. Again a thumbs up for the way they integrated classical music into their music. Exchange all “thumbs up” by nominations for Awards, and add to that a couple of “thumbs up” for the actors involved and finally, a big “fuck you” to those who wwould not believe in the project when the band came up with the idea. In spite of adversity, the foursome led by the very driven and motivated Danilo (it was after all his baby) surmounted all the problems (no financing, because no banks would believe in the project), found the right people to make the movie (cameraman/ director, lighting technicians, the actors, make-up technicians), and came up with a great product which has already been shown in the Portuguese theaters and hailed as a truely innovative movie. Oh, and before I forget, our own Sarah Bettens has a starring role on the album as well, singing a duet with lead singer/ guitarist Tiago Afonso on the track “Act III – The Viewer” (it so happens that was the only track of the album posted at the band’s MySpace page, but maybe that has since changed, maybe there’s even some teaser images from the movie – I regret to say something went wrong with the saving of the info files I had created, and since I’m at this time at home where I have no Internet, I cannot at this moment make for sure). Ach…more thumbs up are to go to lead guitarist/ backing singer Miguel S. Marques, whom was assigned by the band to produce the music (as opposed to their usual ethics, where each member is co-producer). After all, he had to learn the workings of a symphonic orchestra & the positions of its musicians in order to be able to record their music to perfection. A final thumbs up goes to the relatively short time the band took to make this movie. With only 4 months of pre-production, the movie itself was shot in a mere month (Hollywood, eat your heart out!). Of course, then came the editing (again thumbs up to Danilo whom did that himself), and the anxious wait for the end product…which became something éveryone involved in the project can be proud of, without any modesty! The album including both the CD ànd the DVD, you may be somewhat surprised by high quality of the music itself…and of course praise goes for that alone…but when listened to on the DVD, with the images and narration to go with it, you will have no choice but to agree with me that this is a product which has earned its place in not only my personal, but also yoùr year-lists! Extras on the DVD include an extensive (25-minute) “Making Of” documentary, and the video of “The Viewer” (including footage with Bettens, plus footage from the move, with some extras recorded especially for the video). 98/100 Tony. |