FRENZY MONO - UNORTHODOX
April 2007
That 70's show!
‘Stuck in the 70s!’ is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when
listening to Frenzy Mono’s debut album, Unorthodox, and with good reason
too. They openly admit a fondness, no, make that a passion for the
ornate brand of rock – now often referred to as Classic Rock – that
emerged throughout that decade, but to stop there would be doing them a
grave injustice!
When I first met the band in the run-up to the release of their first
single, Misgrace, back in 2005, my first impression was ‘Yes, the 70s
are still alive!’, at least in this Mellieha rehearsal room. During that
private performance I recall them playing covers of Zeppelin, Deep
Purple and Guns n’ Roses along with a handful of their own original
compositions, which of course only convinced me that my first reaction
was on cue. I remember also being quite impressed with their tightness,
and particularly their singer, Jordan’s robust vocal range. Our
conversation after that rehearsal, however, revealed aspirations that
extended beyond the band members’ individual and collective influences.
They weren’t out to mimic the bands that inspired them; they just wanted
to play music they loved! All they needed was a way to get this across
without having to explain it each and every time! This they found in the
electric live performances that earned them a burgeoning following with
each and every gig, and if you’ve seen the lads perform you’ll know
exactly what I mean!
What was also clear then was their drive and dedication, particularly
their determination to write and record an album. We know now that they
succeeded, but the 11 tracks on offer extend an accented progression
from the band I saw back then. Unorthodox – aptly titled because it
doesn’t settle for any one particular style – brazenly reveals the
band’s influences, and yes, there are several points of reference to the
above-mentioned icons, but more importantly it emphasised their ability
to flex more than one musical muscle, balancing the notion of paying
homage with their own particular approach and accomplished musicianship
in one thunderbolt of an album!
Grand words, you might be thinking, but even one listen to Unorthodox is
enough to prove this. The jarring rhythm changes of Leather Key pave the
way for the blues groove of Misgrace and Into The Bin. The epic slant of
Meet My Clone and Virtual Crimes alternates with the Doom Metal pitch of
The Blacksmith and Liver Daily House, while The Bells of Jerusalem
raises its conventional head around the halfway mark. Rage is by all
means a juggernaut of a rock anthem, and yet, in between all of this,
Frenzy Mono take the liberty of slipping in a trippy interlude and a
classical piano piece! The band has certainly gone to great pains to
make this album their very own, making the record live up to its title!
So while you’ll probably be reminded of Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath, Guns,
Yes and several other monsters of rock while listening to this record,
bear in mind that all those musical fingerprints have been absorbed by
the band but the end result – very commendable by all means, but as in
most cases, with room for improvement and growth – is definitely all
Frenzy Mono!
INTERVIEW WITH JULIAN
Q. You obviously have a reputation for loving 70s rock. Has that
worked out in your favour or has it now become a burden?
It is not only a reputation, it is a fact!! If we had a chance, we would
jump in the time machine and travel back into the 70s for good… All
band, equipment we’ll go maaaan! Woodstock here we come!
….Anyhow, I don’t think that it will ever be a burden, because it’s the
70s era that was an essential ingredient in creating Frenzy Mono; and it
is definitely a main inspiration in our song writing. It is embedded in
our identity, and, love it or hate it, that’s who we are. Any successful
person or entity surely believes in their ideals, and more and more,
lives it.
Q. Five months on from the release of the album, is there anything
you would change on Unorthodox given half a chance?
Unorthodox was captured live at Temple Studios - Mistra in various
recording sessions, due to lack of funds to record it at one go. This
helped getting different moods of Frenzy Mono in one album. By live we
mean that the main parts of all songs were captured by David Vella
(Temple Studios Sound Engineer) while we played them like we play them
live. No click tracks were used, and we believe that it definitely
helped in getting the live groove and mood onto the album. Unorthodox is
part of our lives, we are all proud of what we managed to conceive. We
wouldn’t change a single note of it, since if we had to record it over,
it would become a different album, since the moods during those
recording sessions were unique.
Q. Live or studio? Which aspect do you feel brings out the best in
Frenzy Mono?
Both worlds we enjoy greatly, though very different. In the studio you
have the chance to redo imperfect details until you are satisfied.
Frenzy Mono time spent in the studio is very precious in our hearts and
if we had the funds, our jamming and rehearsing sessions would be held
in the recording studio. But live is live – In your face. It may be
crude, but it is 100% natural. Fans rockin’ in front of us help give us
more energy to perform, and we enjoy every single second of it.
Personally I would say that I prefer the live feel and atmosphere. Venue
permitting, we would have Jordan (vocals) running all over the place and
climbing on bars, tables and the lot, and that also gives us and our
fans a good punch. After a couple of songs, Edward (drummer) would be
already dripping in sweat, as he (like all of us) play so passionately
as if it was the last gig of our lives.
Q. Is the new material you’re working on still rooted next to
Unorthodox, or is the band exploring other directions?
The title Unorthodox, says all about our styles. We are unorthodox
compared to other bands of today. I mean, every single track in
Unorthodox is of a completely different genre than its former or latter
track; but still you can find Frenzy Mono’s signature. What I can reveal
on the new material that we’re working on, is that it does follow the
steps of Unorthodox – Frenzy Mono’s signature is definitely present, but
through different genres not included in Unorthodox.
Q. How do you manage to play keyboards, bass and go totally mental
onstage without hitting a bum note?
He he! Good one Mike! To start with, I don’t have any alcohol before a
gig. Not because of excitement, but because I don’t want to numb any of
my senses. I want to remember every single second of our gigs. Modestly
speaking, it’s not as hard as you would think. Do you know what the hard
bit is? Controlling the two sustain pedals without confusing one with
the other. (One sustain pedal is hooked to the Hammond keyboard, the
other is hooked to the ‘Bass’ keyboard). To go mental on stage is in my
blood, none of my physical moves are rehearsed, it is all natural,
believe it or not. Not hitting a bum note - I wouldn’t know exactly know
how to explain that. What surely helps is to be well rehearsed…
Q. What should the crowd expect from your upcoming live performances?
In our upcoming performances, the crowd will get a whole lot of
in-your-face Frenzy Mono harsh rockin’… Newly added covers to our list,
plus fresh Frenzy Mono material. As always, all Frenzy Mono songs from
Unorthodox played live are never played the same. Solos are varied,
details here and there are tweaked, and intros and endings are endlessly
changed. Well, I think that is Frenzy Mono.
Recommended weblink:
www.frenzymono.com
Frenzy Mono would like to thank Michael from www.adoniscreations.net, their official photographer and designer of CD and merchandise artwork and design.
