Bruce was gracious enough to write a review off our latest album “The Culmination.” Here it is. Thanks a lot Bruce.
The Culmination by Subject to Thoughts
The first thing I notice about this Album is the Superbly done composition. Since the Inception is a masterfully done “Dark riffs yet Enlightening Lyrics” Song which hooked me immediately. The lyrics are deep, yet with a gracefulness about them that reminded me of the Battle that Rages between Good and Evil and perhaps one person’s struggle to accentuate the positives of the result of that Battle. Different songs mean different things to different people but I believe everybody who listens to this nicely done piece and listens with open ears and an open mind can relate to the brilliant contrast between the vocals and the composition.
The Second Song of this Album, “Remembering, Who I Am” begins with a sublime organ intro that allows time to let the deep echoes from the lyrics of the first song to sink in until they find a gentle abode within my subconscious. The beautiful second part of the song continues the contrast of vocals to composition and it’s something that separates this Album so far from other Albums I’ve listened to in the past. Remembering, Who I Am puts out, to me, a clear message that each one of us are important in the grand scheme of life and that the World would have suffered greatly without us being there and seemingly, in a subconscious mode, the suffrage the World has endured for lives cut short. I know the second part of the previous sentence is a stretch, but one can’t help but consider that the World would have been different had lives not been lost here or there. Definitely, this Album has a hook in me.
The greatest Albums from all genres, to my liking, are the ones that delve deeply into the soul and touch the spiritual wisdom button. Albums like Metallica’s Black Album all the way to Leonard Cohen’s Old Ideas and every Soulfully Inspired Album in-between, The Culmination included, that hit that button are the Albums I remember. With The Culmination, I get it. The first two songs hit home and the hook was set. Now for the rest of the Album…
In life, we sometimes encounter wounds, whether those wounds are superficial or whether they are wounds within us. The struggle to hold on while wounds heal, whether within or without, is one we all encounter many, many times in our lives. One Day is a song about dealing with those struggles. A delightful piece to listen to and digest.
The Calming Effect is a heartfelt song about the Heavens hearing the pain and suffering with an excellent intro and the vocals are nicely done slow and deliberate. TCE intros Deepest Regret perfectly, which is a tune concerning letting go and being honest with myself or maybe not being, which would cause problems. Memories Embedded is definitely a connection with the spiritual realm in that what memories we unlock from whatever plane, will be with us for a long time. Serenity in My Eyes, the seventh track, is so simplistically deep! The lyrics may be short but it is made up with amazing depth. The Culmination, title track and says it all when it sings, Ascends me to the next revolution. This hooks me with the thought that our work is never finished here, as long as there’s another area of either ourselves or the World that can be changed for the better. Remaining is a reflection, perhaps in the mirror of our life, of what we were, what we are and what’s yet to come. Before the Leaves Fall in the beginning continues the reflection from the mirror when the singer finds the holy grail of sorts, the reasoning to speak truth, to be true to oneself and to others. Closure is Superbly done with an awakening to a new time in life, when the veil is uncovered and one finds that truth and love conquers everything, including one’s past.
It has been a very long time since I’ve seen lyrics so deep and meaningful to the human soul. This awakening dream the lyricist had turned into a lyrical masterpiece by the end of the Album. I highly recommend this Album if you have an open mind along with a desire to delve into the mysticism of human life and all the components, thereof. Bravo, Subject to Thoughts!
