Deaf Symphony: Chains of Love

By Keith Hannaleck

• Artist: Deaf Symphony
• Title: Chains of Love
• Genre: Metal
• Label: Snug Harbor Records
• Website: www.deafsymphony.com
• Purchase this CD: CD Baby

Deaf Symphony is the brainchild of Matt Cerbin. Back in June of 2005, I had my introduction to his project Black Garden. I was impressed with the recording and recently I received the most recent effort Chains of Love. The workload is shared this time around so Cerbin can concentrate more on playing the guitar, bass, and keyboards and not have to be concerned with the lead singing as well. It looks like there is an official lineup now. Larry Cox is back playing his drums and you can hear him loud and clear. The way he plays really sets the standard for everyone else to follow. There is another guitar player in the mix now too, Howard Askeland. He holds his own and does a nice job trading licks with Cerbin.

Cerbin continues to crank out all the thundering dirges of metal riffs and he turns the vocal duties over to lead singer Chris Rogers. Rogers sounds more like the roughshod gravely voiced type (think James Hetfield but a bit heavier) while Cerbin reminded me of Rob Halford on the first outing. I would prefer Cerbin at the front of the band but I have to say that Rogers does match up well with the music and metal heads are sure to be sporting a grin from ear to ear when they hear the 10 powerful tracks offered up on this CD.

So what you have is a band fully charged at every position with a meatier and potent sound. It is as if everything got a kick in the ass and pushed up a few notches. The more I hear Rogers I can begin to see how he is the right fit for their aggressive sound. It just took a few listens for these ears to become accustomed to all the changes.

When you think metal bands, the thoughts that enter your mind first are not serene and loving…it is quite the opposite. There are many good things going on in music and the people in bands regardless of the genre and the reputations that follow them around, are offering their services to make life better for those in need. Recently Deaf Symphony formed a partnership with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). This falls right in line with emotive lyrical content set to the driving beats, bone crunching guitar riffs, and thumping rhythm section provided consistently throughout this set. The cover of the CD paints the picture perfectly and when you start playing the music, it all starts to make sense. The titles of the tracks are very vivid as well, “Chains of Love,” ‘Take The Fall,” “When The Body Is Dead,” all tell stories of pain and emotional destruction. All of this falls under the heading of domestic violence. You can violently damage someone emotionally with just words, then that can manifest into physical ailments, which eventually can start an “Insurrection.”

This music will stir your soul, raise the barometer of your heart, and have you counting your blessings for the life you have. It is all about rocking out and getting some awareness to heavy-duty social issues that cannot be ignored, and trust me, this music will not be ignored.

Reviewed - November 15, 2006

Tracks:

01. Take the Fall (4:36)
02. Breaking Down the Walls (5:49)
03. The Call of the Night (5:05)
04. Sanctuary of the Mind (3:51)
05. Killing Myself (3:55)
06. Insurrection (3:54)
07. Take Me Back (5:16)
08. Chains of Love (3:56)
09. When the Body is Dead (4:50)
10. Room for One (7:56)

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