THE PRESS
GAGE -Silent Movie Type
Northeast Performer
GAGE's Silent Movie Type is a razor-sharp collection of aggressive
guitar rock. Intro track "Down to No End" is a big-time
rave-up that recalls heavier Soul Asylum. With its signature guitar
riff, big hooks, and over-the-top vocal rant, "Down"
plays like a bastard marriage of Matchbox 20 and the Ramones.
(Not as odd as it sounds.) Covering all the bases in their crunch-heavy
style, "Weld Your Mouth Shut" seamlessly rides a Rage
Against the Machine-style intro rap into a melodic vocal refrain.
There's a hardcore sensibility at work here that punctuates the
band's affinity for catchy material, although at times the repeated
forays into heavy MC-ish vocals seem tired and cliché,
taking away from the considerable impact of their strong material
and energized playing style. GAGE stretches out with the acoustic
amphetamine romp of "Unwind," a blues-tinged number
that plays nicely amidst the heavier atmosphere of the album.
Building to an angry climax, the song draws from the same jaw-clenched
energy that fuels so much of Silent Movie Type. Songs like "Get
a Face" and "Silent Movie Type" make minimal bows
in the pop direction, instead relying on a familiar hardcore grind
to slam home a veritable soundtrack of rage. Effective, but substantially
less moving than hard-pop gems like "Down" and the raging
"Tea Bag," which show that adult-anger is far more profound
and entertaining than what can be expressed by merely shouting
over a teeny-hardcore guitar wail.
Contact: gage@xclaim.com
-Scott Chesley
GAGE -Silent Movie Type
Noise Magazine - Issue
#183
This disc is
not for the weak of heart or anyone on high-blood pressure medication.
Warnings aside, this is one of the most diverse and entertaining
bands to date. Former SSD guitarist ("Lethal") has switched
to bass and proven he's gotten better with age (or would that
be "better with GAGE?"). Gage is heavy and harsh with
a little bit of emotion thrown in for extra flavor. Guitarists
TJ and Ave are in sync and totally pumped up with speed on songs
like "What's Your Damage?," "Get a Face,"
and "Incensed." Al's mean bass riffs get extra applause
in "Down to No End." "Unwind" is in a class
all by itself. It's folky, yet rocking in its own sort of way
and keeps you wondering what will come next. "Get a Face,"
with its evil and dark melodies, has the tenseness meter going
through the roof. Anthony has done an amazing job keeping the
changes in beat and is slammin' with the snare and bass. Ryan
is the added bonus with his fierce, straight, shoot-from-the-hip
voice. "My Hemisphere" is the break-all-the-rules tune
on the whole album with jazzy/funk rock kookiness written all
over it. "Silent Movie Type" is a tight, tough song
that should be playing nation-wide and have unlimited airplay.
Last (but not least) on this musical carnage ride is "Hero
to No One," a pumped-to-the-max song and a great way to end
a musical roller coaster ride. So if you need stress relief, set
you "Gage" for stun and give it a listen.
GAGE -Silent Movie Type
Metronome
Fusing hard core
rhythms with street rapping lyrics and premeditated prose, Gage
turns up the heat on this intense sounding compact disc. The smashing
rhythm section of drummer Anthony and bassist Al careens off of
everything that's not tied down as guitarists TJ and Dave fire
off flame thrower riffs punctuated by Ryan's blaring vocal shrills.
This is Boston hardcore at its finest and if you look under the
rubble that Gage leaves behind.
GAGE -Silent Movie Type
Boston Sound Check
Five hard rockin'
dudes blasting out the toonz with some hardcore and alternative
influences. Nice guitar sound. Got a funky like type deal happening
down on song seven. It's called My Hemisphere and the lead vocalist's
rampant delivery and quick vibrato never sounded better. "Designed
to portray life as like a vast Dali. I've walked a million steps
inside a man I thought was dead." Couple two lyrics for you
from Perfume with its sweet acoustic guitar intro and rough sounding
verses. I'm nutz about title cut, Silent Movie Type, and I also
like What's Your Damage and Unwind. Lots of cool listening on
this disc.
L.A. Joe
Louisville Music
News
Scissor (XCLAIM)
Gage
By Sean Norris
This Canadian band has
me on its side with Scissor - I like the album. The unusual opening
with solo congas quickly switched to a Nivana-like guitar melody
- almost, should one say it? - better than Nirvana. Gage has a
cleaner sound even though they use distortion. The bass line is
just better, more supportive and more integrated into the total
sound.
The lead vocal is clean even when he's screaming and the lyrics
are the kind that make you want to think. Nice harmony, with the
timbre dominated by bass, guitar and drums, with synthesizer input.
The album is not pitched as deep as a lot of music in this genre
but was more in the "pretty" range, as the guitar wove
a leading pattern throughout. The bass was so subtle and blended
in places that it was hard to pick out. This was a real postive
for this group.
The tempo changes were outstanding, shifting so drastically that
it made the listener feel the emotional ups and downs of the lead
singer. The music bonded the singer and listener in a meditative
relationship that left this listener thoughtful and pensive.
Everyone I shared this album with wanted a copy. Comments range
from "great" to "awesome" to "kick a**
cool." For me, its an album for "spin the disc, spin
the dream." A good experience.
GAGE NOTE: We are not from Canada
Review from The Nebula
CD Title: Scissor
Ahh . . . this is so great
to get a local submission that truly, truly rocks. Gage plays
in-your-face hard rock with a minimal amount of bull. No excessive
solos, over-the-top drum fills, or unnecessary time-signature
shifts. The vibe here is on the songs as a whole. Well, the songs
and a big, thick, fat wall of guitar crunch. From the first 30
seconds of "Ride Up On My Soul" (the CD's opening cut),
I could tell GAGE was a band that had it together. "I Made
You, I can Break You" opens with a furious noise-fest and
swiftly turns into a solid, medium-tempo rocker. Anthony Costanzo's
quiet drumming on "Early Man" is so fluid you could
pour it into a glass. Of particular note is the catchy and radio-ready
"Mood Swing." At first listen, this song seems a little
out of place on the CD, until you realize that's exactly the point.
Do what you can to get this song on the radio, GAGE - it's a winner.
Lyrically, there's a healthy dose of bleakness throughout the
disc, but not so much that it gets whiny. Yes, there is clearly
a Seattle influence, and singer Ryan Fariole has to be REALLY
careful on future releases not to sound too much like the Eddie
you-know-who. But songs like the almost punk chaotic "Attraction,"
the quietly dark "Clockwork Red," and the bizarre opening
of "Baby" show that GAGE has a range and depth that
some bands would kill for. Unlike a lot of the material I heard
this month, GAGE's "Scissor" is on my list of CDs to
listen to AFTER I've written this review. CONTACT - XClaim, P.O.
Box 1979, Boston, MA 02205 - John Mickevich
Review from
The Noise Issue #161
GAGE XCLAIM
Scissor 12-song CD
A very strong second release
from Gage. I'm impressed by the fact that the album doesn't weaken
significantly after the first few cuts. Gage will remind you of
Tool - dark and tormented, with fast songs and a singer who sounds
continually pained. What surprised me most about this CD is the
number of songs that have, dare I utter the words, marketability.
And I mean that in a good way, you indie purists. In particular,
"They Don't See and "Give in to Me" fit the aforementioned
description. "Give in to Me" is chock full of great
guitar and drums and has a pop edge (Think Pearl Jam). The best
cut on the cd is "Baby," a disturbing and heavy bout
of jealous dementia. "Mood Swing" shows great versatility
on Gage's part. As with any album, there is un unmemorable tune
or two - but even the lyrically worn songs like "Attraction"
or "I Hate My Friends" have a unique sound that incorporates
a mighty beat and bass line. Hmmmm. There must be some other Webster's
Dictionary out there of which I'm unaware because the last time
I checked the word "gone" wasn't pronounced "GAH-hown!"
Nothin' personal.
(Kristy Andrelunas)
Review from Northeast Performer
GAGE -"Scissor"
These guys are cool, man
- I really think so. They mean it, they
keep it simple and are tight. I dig the attitude, it rocks. This
CD
covers no new ground - it's pretty standard grunge stuff with
a slight
punky, metal twinge. They don't sound like any other band
specifically, just the genre in general. These guys listed to
lots of
Jane's Addiction, Nirvana and Black Sabbath, I bet.
The singer, Ryan , is quite emotive and has a unique, wavery
voice. Three distorted electronics, played by TJ , Dave and Al,
give us a nice wall of sound for much of the album. Breaks in
the sonic wall are pretty and wonderfully sparse.
"Early Man" I loved, and "They Don't See"
broke my heart. "Ride up On My Soul" is a great title
for a great tune. "Mood Swing" swings.
"Clockwork Red" is eerie and quite a mover, too. "Give
In To Me"
forced me to respect these men for their sheer power. Nice vocal
line, too. Notice that I'm naming nearly every song on the disc?
A
good sign. And they should be signed - discs like this make the
job a
pleasure. Contact: XCLAIM PO Box 1979 Boston MA 02205 or email
gagexclaim@aol.com
-Bob Cronin