"A Deep Breath is a very good, at times exceptional, album...great guitar hooks abound and McStine's multi-tracked [vocal] harmonies impress throughout". -Progression
**** out of 4 stars. "A dazzling nexus of lush virtuosity, demonstrating once again that McStine is far beyond his years". -Press & Sun Bulletin
“This is a superb album straddling progressive and modern melodic rock… great songwriting is in evidence, supported by stellar guitar work, layered sounds and harmony vocals”. –Kinesis
A Deep Breath is a compelling musical journey from explosive bombast to heart-wrenching melancholy. Offering a unique cocktail of progressive pop/rock and beyond, it refuses to conform or bask in any one particular genre. Eleven diverse tracks lay out a musical and lyrical landscape that engulfs the listener and doesn't overstay its welcome.
"Emotional", "bleak", "hopeful", and "brutally honest" partially sum up the lyrics and subject matter of the album; sometimes all in one song. Employing adventurous songwriting, powerful vocals, soaring and textural guitars, and the bulk of overall instrumentation, bandleader Randy McStine is really laying it out here. The album is heightened by incredible performances from world-renowned drummer/vocalist Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard/Tears for Fears), and legendary King's X vocalist Dug Pinnick.
Keeping the "song" in mind first and foremost, the musicianship is muscular and daring when it wants to be, and perfectly simple when it should be. The album is housed in a digipak complete with lyric booklet and artwork/layout from Thomas Ewerhard (Asia/Pete Townshend).
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