"Grandeur Of Delusions" is a culmination of singer/songwriter/musician Rob Anthony Dire's body of work over the last several years. What was meant to be released as his first solo album took a forced hiatus as he lost his right eardrum & majority of hearing on that side. Seven reconstructive surgeries later, he was finally able to produce, mix & trust his hearing again.
He began working on new material and decided, rather than scrap what he had poured his soul into prior to the accident, to release an album containing all of the songs, as he felt they all fit together as a whole and the collection defines a period in his life that needed to be expressed.
Rob wrote the music & lyrics to all songs, with the exception of "Gunshot," on which he collaborated with former bandmate Dean LaVoie. The entire album was engineered, produced & mixed by Rob in his home studios (from Boston to San Francisco to Orlando, FL).
Having grown up with a mother who was a classically-trained opera singer, who performed roles with him in the womb, singing is in Rob's blood and DNA. He began studying piano at age 5, and guitar at age 14, but singing is his passion. On the album, he handles all lead & backup vocals, bass, acoustic & electric guitars, piano, percussion & drum sequencing. But he knows when other musicians are needed, and many songs have guest lead guitarists, including Michael Mayne on "Damaged Goods" & "What You get" & Steve O'Neill on "My Own World." Dean LaVoie also plays drums on "New Disguise" & "My Own World," as well as rhythm guitar on "Gunshot." Dan Ivey plays real violin on "Damaged Goods." This was a very satisfying experience for Rob, since he'd heard the violin in his head when writing the song, but was disappointed with synth strings and pre-recorded loops. Dan's performance & the acoustics of the room worked out Rob was pleased with his first attempt at producing bowed instruments.
Rob Anthony Dire has been influenced by The Beatles, his mother sharing them with him when he was 5, David Bowie (who hasn't?), Garbage, Chris Cornell, Alice In Chains, Pink Floyd, Muse, Radiohead, Supergrass, Nine Inch Nails, and many others, including some he probably doesn't even realize.
Give him a listen. The album is a colorful tapestry, each song a thread woven through. Rob Anthony Dire is someone who hates labels and categories, and this is reflected in his music. You'll hear goth, grunge, electronica, brit-rock, psychedelic, hard rock, pop, and ballads.
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