Pain, Love & Destiny, Monte Pittman’s newest album, is a sonic narrative that brings each listener into a world where they are each asked to confront their own fate, good or bad, and their eventual death – and rebirth.
Pittman last left off with his debut album, The Deepest Dark, an acoustic album that was very much thematically and sonically black and white, starting off cold and leaving the listener with warmth and love at the end. “Pain, Love & Destiny is kind of like when The Wizard of Oz turns into color,” he says of his newest album.
The album is expected to be a musical reinvention of sorts for the artist, and will come as quite a departure in sound and scope from his debut album. Enhanced by electric guitar, synths and piano, this album features spiraling and at times soaring guitar solos, frenzied guitar structures, harmonies and an infusion of 1970s Southern California sunny Americana rock, blaring 80s stadium rock and 90s alternative rock.
The album transitions between introspective ballads and aggressive, at times sex-fueled rock anthems. Pittman, a guitar virtuoso, powerfully dominates the listener with his versatility and mastery of the guitar – holding each listener in a delicate balance of suspense and surprise. His unique almost shamanlike, primal storytelling and music are at their best yet.
Two of the major themes that weave through Pain, Love & Destiny are about finding the brightest light in the darkest of places, and the old story of making a Faustian deal, or a deal with the devil at the crossroads. Throughout the album, the protagonist of the story is being chased by his own fate, which materializes midway through the album as a dark grim reaper-like figure in “(I Am) The Black Rabbit,” an epic 6-minute-long song about allowing the inevitable to happen, and is loosely inspired by the novel, Watership Down.
Beginning with haunting piano, the album then culminates in one of the most captivating and most beautiful songs on the record, the album’s closer, “Predetermined Destiny,” a Beatles-esque ballad, that brings the idea of embracing one’s fate full circle.
Thanks, Love, & Gratitude:
Lisa, Ariel, Aurora, Beatrix, & Atticus Pittman*Lee & Linda Pittman*Michele Pittman & family*Vikki Pandit & family*Jim & Brinda Donatz & family*Charles, Carrie, Jack, & Claire Lindsey*Robert Browning*Dustin Martin*Carol Tingle*Delores & Kelle Rhoads & family*Jon Marshall*John Deaver*Lisa & Ron Claus & family*Lisa Thomas & family*Rachel_ Hoffman*Tammy Bridges*Jennifer Suarez*Steven Le Vine
Cliff Cooper, Damon Waller, Antony Gunter, Russell Blair, Alex Auxier, Luke Zollinger & Will Loftin at Orange Amplifiers*Dom Fairbanks at Fairbanks Endorsements*Phillip Jarrell & Jarrell Guitars*Amani Duncan, Chris Thomas & everyone at Martin Guitars Larry Fishman, Chris Demaria, Joe Barbieri & Dan Cohen & everyone at Fishman*Peter Leinheiser & everyone at Gibson Guitars*Bedrock Studios*Gabriel Currie at Echo Park Guitars*everyone at D'Addario, Seymour Duncan, Tone Pros, Eventide & Guitar Center*Bill Lawrence*Scott Uchida, Jimmy Dunlop, Biffen Jansson, & everyone at Dunlop
Tommy Ratliff*Warren Willis*Xander Smith*Vince Giannini*Brian Creamer*Seven Antonopoulis Drew Worsley*Tommy Victor*Steve Sidelnyk*Adam Lambert & family Isaac Carpenter*Matt Ferguson & family*Doug & Nam Anderson*Lee, Scarlett, & Riff Cherry*Sterling Winfield*Grady Champion*Flemming Rassmussen*Joe Barressi*Jason & Daniel Williams & family*Iliana Boussiou*Sarah Fitzgerald*Andi Tan*Kristi Curry*Jason Massengale & family*Lisa Lopez & family*Eric Greenspan*Glenn Davis*Sharon Chambers*Freddie Wall*Tokyo Hiro!*Greg & Jennifer Simkins*Jenn Pennacchia*Pat McCarthy*Sean Speuhler*Jon Marshall*Allison Iraheta*Erin Gipson Ivan DePrume*Brian Perry*Sheena Metal*Liam McEwan*Malcolm Welsford*June Kinoshita*Katherine Hollinsworth*everyone with Little Kids Rock
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to Kickstarter for the making of this album!
The Deepest Appreciation:
Wendy Andries*Tina DiVenuti & Mark Pappert*Karin Heindl*Suz 526
All songs written and arranged by Monte Pittman
Monte Pittman: Vocals, Acoustic, Electric, & Bass Guitars, Keyboards, Sistrum & Programming
Kane Richotte: Drums
Kelle Rhoads: Piano on (I Am) The Black Rabbit, Burn Down The Garden, Predetermined Destiny
Backing vocals on Predetermined Destiny:
Monte Pittman, Lisa Pittman, Ariel Pittman, Aurora Pittman, Beatrix Pittman, Atticus Pittman, Linda Pittman, Jim Donatz, Lisa Thomas, Ali Keech, Darla Sharp, Alexis Waters, Rebecca Stanton, Tina DiVenuti, Mark Pappert, Wendy Andries, Kelle Rhoads
Cowbell on Burn Down The Garden was performed by Doug Anderson
Produced by: Noah Shain
Co-produced by: Monte Pittman
Recorded & Engineered at White Buffalo Studios by: Noah Shain
Piano recorded at Musonia School Of Music
Mastered by: Bob Lanzner at Techovoice Mastering
Preproduction done at Apple Tree & Furgusound Studios
Front Cover and Inside Illustrations by: Greg Simkins
Back Cover Illustration by: Jenn Pennacchia
Inside Photographs by: Monte Pittman, Noah Shain and Stacey Campos
Management by: LC Media, LLC Lisa Claus - Manager
Monte Pittman published by Montster Worldwide (ASCAP) © 2011
This album contains backward messages
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