As their name suggests, Tremendous Dynamite are powerful 4 piece musical unit producing sounds that are perfect for blasting from your stereo! Their second release aptly titled “Invitation” happens to be the first full length CD featuring the new line up of the band which includes: Nick Piche (Lead Vocals & Guitar), Mike Posthumus (Lead Guitar & Bkgd Vocals), Kevin Blair (Bass & Backing Vocals) and Paul Roozendaal (Drums).
The 11 track disc begins with the title track that packs a powerful 1 – 2 punch combination of raging rock that resembles Radiohead meets the Chilli Peppers. Piche’s vocal phrasing is reminiscent of earlier Bowie on this track that sets a perfect pace for this album packed with guitar heavy tracks.
The tight and powerful interaction of the band is obvious on every track of “Invitation” as drummer extraordinaire Paul Rosenthal and Bassist Kevin Blair add the perfect ingredients to enhance TD’s powerful delivery if not push it right over the top. These two veterans of the Westman music scene provide a solid platform for Posthumus and Piche to consistently let powerful riffs fly from. Indeed this commanding and cohesive group have composed a disc packed full of potent beats and riffs! Turn your stereo up to 10 and have a listen to the riff and roll arrangement of Over the Edge (track 2) for an exceptional example of this.
However it’s not all serious business on Invitation as the guys prove how playful yet punchy they can be on the Danko Jones like “Basement Ghost Blues” perfectly placed in the track 3 position of the album. The crunching guitars and bouncy beat combine to create a persistently pulverizing effect that drives home the angst within every word Piche spews during the chorus demanding that he indeed has a mean case of “THE BASEMENT GHOST BLUES”!! This particular selection provides the perfect soundtrack for a killer mosh pit scene! For me it’s one of the many highlights on the album which there are many. There are enough memorable musical moments on “Invitation” that propel the listening experience.
The twin guitar interplay is outstanding on several tracks including the outro sections of Drinks are Cheap and Watching The Paint Dry (Tracks 4 & 5). The comical “Style is Everything” (Track 6) displays Piche’s skillful blend of spoken work and singing style that adds the perfect flair for this track. Could it perhaps be aimed at an unsuspecting member of the peanut gallery? Desert Walk (Track 7) is reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine meets Rush with its crushing combination of a plodding section that contains a wall of raunchy riffs and fantastic drum fills that transitions seamlessly into a galloping progressive section.
Your Madness (Track 8) the darkest and perhaps heaviest track on the album showcases Piche’s penchant for a spoken word singing style that really paints the gloomy picture this track portrays, the vocal delivery suggest a Grohlesque sneer that helps drive the point home. This selection also displays the band’s ability to effectively punctuate a composition in every section. Get a load of how they set up the guitar solo section. It produces an ass kicking jolt that any hard rock fan would appreciate.
Leaves and Whisper (Tracks 9 & 10) are two more prime examples of the guitar heavy riff rockers this band is aptly capable of. Something Red (Track 11) is a perfect way to end this musical journey. It ideally encompasses the efforts which came from the countless hours this band invested during recording sessions in Garageland Studios located in Brandon’s west end. What starts off as a moody mid tempo acoustic track laced with tasty bass and guitar arpeggios, leads into a pleasing chord change complete with a straight ahead riff. The aforementioned change up provides the perfect foundation for the coda of this composition that comes complete with smoldering guitar work and flourish of drum fills overlapped with the vocal refrain of “it’s all the same”! Interestingly enough this is actually the most dissimilar track on the disc but turns out to be the perfect way to wrap things up and it may have you singing along before the final fade out…
Not only does Tremendous Dynamite deliver in the studio, they are also a blast to see live! Your next opportunity to check out their intense riff rock blast to your senses is April 15th & 16th at the 40. They’ll be ripping it up on stage during the official CD release bash for “Invitation”. The evening kicks off with an instrumental set by Brandon’s newest power trio “The Daughters of Creation” lead by guitarist extraordinaire Matt Cory and you are invited to join in on what should prove to be an outstanding live music experience.
Invitation track listing:
Invitation
Over the edge
Basement ghost blues
Drinks are cheap
Watching the paint dry
Style is everything
Desert walk
Your madness
Leaves
Whisper
Something Red
