THE SLYDE – AWAKENING – INDEPENDENT
Apparently, this Canadian quartet has been around since 2008, but although this is the first I have heard of them, I am sure that this name is soon going to be far more widely known as this is a really enjoyable album. They appear to have released an album back in 2011, but only Nathan Da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Sarah Westbrook (keyboards, samples are still in the band from then, with the line-up now completed by Alberto Campuzano (bass, vocals) and Brendan Soares (drums, vocals). What we have here is a crossover prog/AOR album with hard rock elements, and when the press company states that here is a band that has been heavily influenced by Rush I can see what they mean not only in the vocals but in the approach.
The whole approach is somewhat softer than their fellow Canucks, mellow and more Seventies influenced in many ways, but the bass is played with a pick, giving a harder edge that pushes through the layers. Apparently, they have supported Protest The Hero, which must have been interesting billing as musically the bands are incredibly diverse, but it is quite possible that they are more metallic live, and certainly opener the driving “Awaken” could crunch quite heavily if left to its own devices. I did smile when I noticed that in the press release it states that this album could be of interest to fans of Megadeth, and I guess that’s true if everyone has tastes as diverse as mine, otherwise somehow I think that comment misses the mark. But, overall this is a fun album that certainly made me smile, and I had no problem putting this on repeat, which isn’t something I often do. For fans of Rush, particularly the more mellow AOR crossover stylings. https://www.theslyde.ca
7/10
Kev Rowland
