CD Review – Bill Mike Band – Truce
By: Kaleb Bronson
An influential Minneapolis-based trio of provisional art and epic sounds has wrapped together a long-awaited second release, resourcefully titled “Truce,” put together like a title wave of Earth’s brightest colors exploring the universe through sound. The Bill Mike Band, comprised of the guitar necromancer and spellbinding vocalist Bill Mike, heart-pounding warlock bassist Chris Morrissey and dominating slam-master/witch doctor Steve Goold on drums. This team of mystical musicians have comprised an album of magical rock power to entice the likes of the late Harry Houdini or the mysterious stranger David Blaine.
With each note and lyric of “Truce” Bill Mike tells tales of the planets current state and how one must look at the larger picture, not only to survive but to achieve a greater good for society as we know it. From the intro of the album with, “Make Peace” to the outro “Better News” (same title as the last album), the potency of the 8-track album fascinates with variegated report and vibration, like making the White House disappear with a card trick.
Each songs content is in solid relation to the current state of the world, the pitch of “To Each His Own” and the chant of the vocal commentary brings the listener into a state of mental remonstrance, asking the mind to question reality. With the vocals guiding each track through the current state of the world, the harmonies grab hold of the listener like a musical vice-grip, holding them tightly until the album is complete.
With “Truce” being the second album from the Bill Mike Band, Draw Fire Records has nabbed the release and are ready to set a fire trail of tuneful unity with the men of the Bill Mike Band. They have toured the globe, played with numerous musical acts across the genre spectrum, and now with “Truce,” they have upped the attunement with a new flavor, a new touch on the globe and force to cause riotous rock reactions to all who come in contact with the experimental magnetism.
“Start Thinking,” the third track on the album is a bonfire of emotional spirit. Hearing each note of Bill Mike’s guitar petal mastery makes the listener fade into the background while the music gathers mental symmetry, and throughout every track the band mobilizes a musical ensemble of correlated composition. Think of riding a stream of conscience like a tsunami of sound; this is what “Truce” offers the listener.
The Bill Mike Band is back with a state-of-the-art sound and up-to-date global outlook that allows “Truce” to be royally recognized.
Filed under: Music Reviews
