FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
An eclectic line up was the order of the night in Toronto at the Wreck Room. Prog metal legends Cynic with 3, Scale the Summit and a recently added The Ocean were to play this showcase of musical talent.
It’s hard to think of any other contemporary progressive rock band that combines complexity, discipline, and catchiness better than 3. The upstate New York band has been steadily improving with each record, but it was their fifth album, 2007’s The End is Begun, that established them as one of the more promising prog acts today, the kind of band that could easily make the jump from King Crimson-esque dexterity to the kind of sweeping melodic hooks and economical beats that Rush excelled at back in the mid-’80s. Led by the smooth tenor voice of guitarist/singer Joey Eppard, 3 brings an element that bands like Coheed and Cambria, Porcupine Tree, and the gawd-awful Dream Theater (‘scuse the blasphemy, prog geeks) never quite had: enormous crossover appeal.
Adrien Begrand reviews the new, upcoming 3 album set for release on Metal Blade on October 27th.