Subterra is able to evoke a vast amount of emotion and spirit through their musi
author: Marc Chauvin
If you’ve ever listened to anything that is truly classic 70’s rock, and if you’ve liked it, then Subterra is for you. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received an email from lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, harmonica-ist, keyboardist, bassist, and tambourine man Howie Doyle, asking if I knew who he should send his CD to for review, but I’m glad that he decided to send it my way. From the first stanza of off-kilter lyrics and smashing guitar solos, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, yea, I like classic rock and music like that, but I can’t say it’s my one true passion. Here in the good old state of Connecticut where the only real station that plays Subterra-esque music comes out of Massachusetts, Subterra is a pleasant change from the norm, even for this non-cultured listener.
Subterra is able to evoke a vast amount of emotion and spirit through their music and a lot of this credit must go to front-man Howie Doyle. Doyle’s lyrics and his sometimes off-key singing bring together both a fiendishly clever and soul-gripping work of art that has very few equals in a world full of bad music. This isn’t frosted-over music as much of the "studio-polished" music of late has been, rather, Subterra cuts through the mainstream and branches off into a world of their own. The lyrics are testament themselves to the band’s inner feelings, and just when you believe you’ve come to understand the inner workings of Doyle and his crew, as luck would have it, a guitar solo rushes out of nowhere and takes your mind off of the inner feelings of the band and draws you into the world of kick ass music.
Texas, known in the East as the land of plenty, hopefully doesn’t have plenty of bands like Subterra, hopefully they’re one-of-a-kind. Subterra has the ability to conjure up images of great proportion that are hardly known in mainstream music. Subterra is by far one of the best bands I’ve ever had the joy of listening to, and I mean it, Subterra has made its way into my top ten for enjoyablity, honesty, and DIY-ness that needs to be brought to the forefront of music today. Subterra is down to earth and true, and that’s what makes this album, The Speed Of Pain, what it is, good old fashioned honest rock and roll.
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Subterra is at it's best when it is at its moodiest.
author: Joel Hedge
Don't panic. "The Speed of Pain" is not a speed metal album, just some enjoyable rock, some great ballads and a cover of Willie Nelson's "I Never Cared for You."
The disc starts with "1969." You can hear singer/songwriter Howie Doyle's Texas accent on lyrics rhyming "toothbrush" to "bush." I hear a little Alice Cooper style in the song "It's Gonna Rain." "More Than There Is" has a nice driving beat and a pleasing variety of vocal presentation.
"Just Want to Let You Know" is an outstanding track. It details a tribute to a woman's courage. The second verse is good. "I hope you are happy now/ you deserve to be/ Your fight was short/ but you were very strong/ And in that short time you showed me/ A courage as pure as the day is long ." This must be a true story because the emotion really comes through on this track.
"Love is a Work of Art" has the same quality going for it. The title alone is a grabber. Doyle sounds like he means it and he sounds like he loves this song. He doesn't force the point in a hard, lecturesome way. He just tells a story of love not working out too well because of his communication mistakes.
"I'm washing it down with same old lies/ Inch by inch the love just dies/ Pushing her away every time she tries/"
Fortunately, his communication of this story is working out fine. By the end of "Love is a Work of Art" I was sympathizing with him. Can I get a witness? Yes!
The Willie Nelson cover, "I Never Cared for You" is a moody and bold one, which fits well with the previously mentioned tracks as well as the acoustic "Bothered" and the dirge of "The Stagecoach."
"Bothered" shows that this album is better mastered than most independents. The brightness of the guitar and the high placement of vocals in the mix otherwise would show any production shortcomings.
Overall, "Speed of Pain" is a coherent album with some outstanding tracks. Subterra is at it's best when it is at its moodiest.
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Styles, ranging from psychedelic to folksy sound hauntingly like an acid love-in
author: Dave "screwloose" Miller
This Houston-area band composed of Howie Doyle on vocals and guitar and Mark Mundy on bass, guitar, percussion and background vocals brings us an interesting new album that, while it is brand-new, sound like it could easily have been recorded in 1970. Sounding like a cross between Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Howie's unique vocals alternately fascinate and annoy me. Though a big Neil Young fan, I can honestly say he's not the world's best vocalist. But having said that, I really enjoyed the album. The variety of styles, ranging from psychedelic to folksy sound hauntingly like an acid love-in recorded at Love Street Light Circus in the late 60's. With the exception of Willie Nelson's "I Never Cared For You" (which Howie does very well, proving he actually does have a pretty nice voice), all the songs are written by Howie. A solid ballad, "The People Believed" prompts a serious look at life, and quite timely (the Colorado shooting incident) is the line "I can't make sense out of what I see." How true! Opening song, "1969" takes an ominous look at the millennium, with lines like "Y2K is gonna cause God to crash," and "natural born killers living out their dreams." More deja vu here. A Dylan-like "It's Gonna Rain" weaves a retro spell, and "More Than There Is" is a pounding anthem. Slowing it down for "Just Want to Let You Know" about a lost love, and then more Neil Young sound-alikes in "Underground", but the oddball "Michael Stipe's Head," with mind-bending lines like "I'm a low rent, chicken fried, dog-faced boy" is another quite listenable tune. Bragging about what a charmer he was in "Love Is A Work of Art", he relates how "the girl went off like a fire alarm" (can I watch? do you have any video?) Other songs include "Bothered" and "Shadowman," and they continue to trend. My second listen was better than the first, and the third time was the charm. Really grows on you. If you like original rock, or Neil Young, or just good music, give it a try! (April 1999) "North of the Border"
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Solid -- and surprisingly powerful.
author: Raging Smolder Music Review #21 May, 1999
John Hiatt-ish (or Neil Young-ish via Morrissey) singer-songwriter, serious and straight forward, with spare electric/acoustic guitar-bass-drum backing. Oft-times slow and somber -- and always thoughtful, conscientious, and reflective. Words: "There's things going on I can't condone; I don't want to grow up looking like my clone ... The bleeding cross etched into my chest does so little to quiet my raging breast ... There must be a broken vein that pumps the blood to my heart of pain ... My karma squeezed the blood from your heart; I realigned your molecules and called it art ..." Solid -- and surprisingly powerful.
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