Tantric
By: Jeff Leisawitz - ModernRock.com
March 21st 2001 6:24pm
Imagine that your dreams are coming true. You’ve busted ass for years and finally the stars align. Your band, Days of the New, signs a major label deal, scores big airplay on Mtv and hits the road opening up for Metallica. So good so far. Then suddenly the singer freaks out and the whole thing goes up in flames. Before you know it, you’re back in Louisville, Kentucky. You’re broke, pissed off to no end, and have nowhere to turn.
While most musicians in this position would spin into a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, guitarist Todd Whitener, bassist Jesse Vast and drummer Matt Taul stuck together and put all of their energy right back into the music.
As fate would have it, a guy in Detroit named Hugo Ferreira somehow caught a listen to the band’s unfinished demo tape. He fell in love with the music. In no time he joined the act and moved to Kentucky. The new configuration changed its name to Tantric, penned a new record deal and released their stunning self titled debut.
With the help of producer Toby Wright (Korn, Alice in Chains), Tantric’s sonic presence is captured with a clear artistry and style that’s not often heard on rock records. The LP's opening single, “Breakdown,” turns and breathes with delicate finger picking before a wave of sound informs the listener that volume is an essential element in this music.
Cuts like “Moving,” “I Don’t Care,” and the mesmerizing “Astounded” continue to effuse the gritty, vital energy of the band. At the same time vulnerable and armored, Tantric raises the standards of radio rock with intentional musicianship and lyrics backed by a megaton powerhouse rhythm section.
Tantric emerges from the crowd not because of a particularly original sound or approach but because they actually know how to play their instruments well and they can express themselves in dynamic, multifaceted ways. Like the mystic, sexual practice of their namesake, Tantric promises a disciplined, ecstatic experience that's sure to take you to another world.
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