Shellcase- Dead Memories
I pop the CD in and press play. While I wait for the gadgetry to do it's thing I calmly turn the 'Dead Memories' album cover over to have a little read... and am snapped out of my lazy pool of tranquillity with the opening crash of 'Faith ?' battering me like a sharp kick out of bed. I would have been more than a little disgruntled by this is if I weren't immediately engaged by the track as a whole. Shellcase had grabbed my attention.
'Where is God when you have cancer? Where is God when a child must die? Where is God when bad things happen?' I realise that this is going to be a heavy album on more than one level. I usually have a problem when relatively unknown bands try tackling the 'big' questions. It often results in a trite and self-indulgent presentation of song writing. But I have to admit, 'Faith?' is a really good little track. As we moved into second track 'Fucked Up' I kept my fingers crossed that there would be plenty more of the soul shuddering guitar that they'd just teased me with. There's enough to keep a head nodding at least.
There's a very decent power ballad in 'Crash Landing' in the vein of Stone Sour with its atmospheric acoustic guitar layered over strong, chunky guitar riffs. The melodies provided by vocalist Dave Varlet certainly give the Shellcase sound some edge over other emerging bands in the post-grunge scene. Perhaps it is also a level of maturity that is felt in the general masculine power in the driving power chords and solos. This sort of depth in the rich heaviness of the rock running throughout the album, combined with the philosophical and sometimes dark contemplation within the poetic lyrics does bring to mind bands like Creed and Staind. Tracks like 'Scars', reminiscing on unhappy memories from childhood, once again draws its listeners in to something that has something more to say than just your average heavy rock song.
The band said that their intention with 'Dead Memories' was to make 'a solid, mature and cohesive record'. They have certainly achieved this goal. The album is well put together, with one or two real gems that grab you (the aforementioned 'Faith?' being one, another being 'Pain', a smouldering number that Corey Taylor himself would probably be pleased to sing.) Furthermore, its accessible rock that could have the potential to appeal to the same market that took Nickelback so close to their hearts. You listen to this and feel like this is definitely a band that has a lot more that they can give.