Rhonda Readence
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ProtoAvis "Higher Than Life"
Artist: ProtoAvis
Album: Higher Than Life
Review by Rhonda Readence
ProtoAvis, a trio out of northern New Jersey, calls Higher Than Life an “honest, back to basics raw rock album.” In the beginning notes of the first song, they have already proven this statement true. Primary songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist Joe Berrigan is accompanied by Artie Desbiens on guitar and backing vocals and Chris Koutouzakis on drums. Combining vintage influences such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Who, with modern greats like Alice In Chains, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, ProtoAvis will appeal to listeners of all ages and fans of several different genres of rock.
The lead-in track, “Dead Sea Jackals,” has some Sabbath guitar riffs with vocals that could be compared to Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots fame. It’s an attention-getter, for sure. With heavy rhythms, smooth tempo changes and a jaw-dropping guitar solo, ProtoAvis establishes themselves as masters of their trade. “Dying By Inches” carries the barest essence of Smashing Pumpkins and this piece has a groove that will delight listeners who enjoy a song with attitude. Berrigan’s vocals have an edge that commands attention, Desbiens’ guitar playing is phenomenal, and Koutouzakis on drums keeps everything rocking along. This is the perfect example of exceptional musicians collaborating to create a killer piece of music.
Another standout track on Higher Than Life is “Love,” which is a slower-paced artistic ballad that showcases the diversity of this band and highlights Berrigan’s vocal talents. Lighters will be flickering in the crowd when ProtoAvis performs this live. There are definitive tempo changes throughout this piece that the band executes with exceptional skill. It is also one of the more lyrically sound tracks on the album, which will surely make it a fan favorite. “Somerset” is another song that makes it evident that ProtoAvis isn’t pigeon-holed into screaming guitar licks and heavy chords. This light acoustic track is refreshing, lively and melodic with a beat that will have feet tapping.
“Shooting Gallery” is the only song on the album that warrants slight criticism. The lyric/vocal pattern is occasionally choppy, as if Berrigan is trying to fit too much into too small of a space, and at other times the lyrics are drawn out as if to fill empty space. The delivery is also slightly rough, but this works well with the choppy flow of this piece. Although it may not appeal to all listeners, the instrumentation is stellar, particularly the screaming guitar solo.
“The ProtoAvis Flies High” is one of the more well-composed tracks on the album. With a softer harmony, melodic guitar work and heartfelt lyrics, this piece will become a staple in the record collections of many. Each song on Higher Than Life is solid and lyrically sound, but this song seems to really jump out and fans will absolutely adore it. “Ready, Shoot, Aim, Fire!” gives Koutouzakis and Berrigan their chance to shine on drums and bass, respectively. Desbiens joins them with some hard-hitting chords and this piece is shaping up nicely. This is another track with attitude and ProtoAvis does an amazing job executing this with style.
Higher Than Life closes with “This Winter,” and it’s the perfect way to exit. Leaving listeners with this slow, melodic, epic progressive rock track is a brilliant stroke of genius. In fact, the track itself is brilliant. This album encompasses a wide variety of rock and ProtoAvis is not shy about flaunting their diversity. From Sabbath and Zeppelin inspired guitar riffs to vocals that scream of the legendary Seattle grunge movement, this band will appeal to just about anyone with an ear for good rock music. The sound production is basic and well done, giving the album a somewhat raw garage essence that lends itself nicely to the music. ProtoAvis is, without doubt, a talented band who knows precisely how to make excellent music that people can simply sit back and enjoy. So please do!
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Mike DeGagne
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Album review by Mike DeGagne
Artist: ProtoAvis
Album: Higher Than Life
Review by Mike DeGagne
Formed in 2010 in New Jersey, ProtoAvis is an alternative hard rock threesome that uses a myriad of influences to gel their sound. With Joe Berrigan playing bass and singing lead, Artie Desbiens on guitar and background vocals, and Chris Koutouzakis on drums, the band manage to fuse together melody, classic rock guitar lines and a bolstering back beat to create a familiar blend of heavy metal and straight ahead rock. Comparisons range anywhere from Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, and Motley Crue, to latter day artists like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Their debut album, Higher Than Life, is comprised of a basic rock formula that utilizes the simplicity of the guitars, vocals, and drums to get its message across. The band’s lyrics cover a number of issues, including substance abuse, love, and the pain resulting in loss, among others; topics that will likely hit home to any music fan.
Their pure rock sound emerges on the album’s first track, “Dead Sea Jackals”, which opens with an effective meld of drum and guitar “oomph“, followed by a raucous grinding guitar line and some solid bottom end drumming. The buzzing riff carries the song, and there’s a great feel of rock and roll energy moving through the flow of the tune. “Dying By Inches” follows suit, with the vocals surging a little more in between the balance of guitar and the teeter-totter rhythm. It’s here that the band’s similarity to other artists begins to take shape. Listeners will be able to pick out pieces of Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Black Sabbath blanketing the tempo, riffs, and vocal transport of this song.
“Oz” has more of a classic rock feel to it, which seems to be an ode to Ozzy Osbourne since the lyrics tamper with substance abuse and the downfall that comes soon after. Even the guitar is reminiscent of Ozzy’s solo stuff, but there is also a slight reminder of Pearl Jam in the cadence and the atmosphere of the tune. The song has a black, menacing persona to it, and it’s this characteristic that rates as a positive for ProtoAvis. They manage to create a great balance of hard rock and metal that is pleasing to fans of this type of music, and they pull it off without going too far over the edge on either genre. “Love” relies on some moving opening vocals, but this subtlety is wonderfully bowled over with a barrage of guitar and drums that suddenly breaks down the door, exploding into a catchy Nirvana-like rock song.
“15 Shades” is another blend of musical influences pieced together to form its semi-hard rock composite, while “Shooting Gallery” hints of Ratt (yes, Ratt came to mind right away!), using the same rock thunder as the other tracks to give it life. “The ProtoAvis Flies High” is the album’s best track; professional sounding, ear pleasing, and slightly different from the other cuts. Berrigan’s voice rides nicely amid the tempo and the guitar work that accompanies him, and the tune harbors more of an innovative feel to it than the rest of the album’s offerings.
There’s no doubt that ProtoAvis established their hard and heavy sound on this, their first album. It’s easy to see which direction they’re headed; an undemanding, clear-cut amalgam of gritty guitar, rhythm-heavy percussion, and energetic vocals. The only thing that’s needed is for the band to establish an identity that will take away the obvious comparisons and musical parallels that arise instantly throughout their songs. On the other hand, these similarities could help ProtoAvis, as listeners may find security in the fact that they can dig out some of their favorite classic sounds within the group’s repertoire. Either way, the band has enough raw talent to carry their career forward, and Higher Than Life makes for a great collection of listenable, hard and heavy tunes.
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