First stepping onto the music scene in 2014, Dallas trio National Security Band have continued to go from strength to strength as they have continued to create a powerful impact in countless states around the US.
As this year marks a decade, what better way to celebrate in style than the release of their third album, Critical Sound Theory - 8 tracks which really ignite the way forward for one of the best rock bands to come out of the USA in today’s lifetime.
Not wanting this special milestone to pass us by, we were thankful for the opportunity to check out the album for ourselves, and boy when I say that this record has so much to offer, I mean it.
Rather that go through all of the tracks on the album one by one, as it is a record which can only be valued by listening to it yourself, there are a instead a few tracks I want to pick out and will highly like succeed in drawing you in, especially if you are a newbie to the world of National Security Band.
Beginning with the opening track Agastopia, predominantly instrumental and lasting just over six minutes long, this is a song which really contains a whole lot of character. When you listen to it, it has that gritty deep south vibrancy to it, which reminds of that glimmering heat you see on a hot day as the sun starts to set.
The gentle spoken words, ‘our thoughts, decay and decline, the phantom of corruption, at the hands of time, society lasts like tumours in my brain, as I steal the skin through worlds away’, that we hear at the initial stages of the song have such a poetic edge and help to make the overall listening experience of Agastopia so atmospheric to listen to. It is a song which brings together calm but also a burning excitement deep inside your mind too. A very impressive start to the album.
The next track I want to point highlight is Without You. This track I feel picks up where the opening track left off. If you love you some classic rock with infectious riffs and plenty of rhythm then this ticks all the boxes. The style, when you also include the vocals, reminds me of the likes of other great artists that have come before such as Chris Cornell, which I can see the resemblance in frontman Andy’s voice.
Lyrically I also admire the songwriting, because as well as being poetically articulated, it also has a depth and intensity to it which causes a reaction within your mind. For instance, ‘Devoid all your reasons, but we drink all your wine, not in the least, have you felt this mature, injected my mind, of doubt rest assured, Without You, Without You.’ . Looking at this you could interpret it in so many way, but the important thing is that it makes you think and helps you to contemplate beyond just the music but also the messages we fill ourselves with each day. Society is untamed, so I think being aware where we go to quench our thirst is something which the National Security Band gives us a gentle nudge to consider.
Following nicely on we then move on to Indignant Sheep. The reason this one stands out to me, is that from the get go, lyrically National Security Band through the power of their words, are inviting you to take a step inside their head. Those thoughts are raw, but are also cleverly compiled in a way which maximises the potential to resonate with the song as a whole. For example, ‘...cover the eyes, look to the sky, not in the streets, trapped in my head’. I like the way that as a band that National Security Band don’t just want to give you music you can crank up high, they also want to go that extra mile by giving you plenty of substance and deeper meaning but in a way which encourages you to challenge your thoughts. So when I hear a song like Indignant Sheep, it is a continuation of that impact.
As I said there are 8 songs featured on Critical Sound Theory, and as I have listened to each one it has sparked my curiosity in an enlightening way to see how they all correlate towards the overall narrative of the album as a whole.
A good strong album can draw you in with a captivating start, but having an equally powerful finish is what makes it even more of a valuable experience, so although I won’t give away too many spoilers, I do want to lightly touch on closing track, The Reversion. What I will say is that it feels very much when I hear this track that the National Security Band have brought us full circle where the band have collectively given us something sensationally atmospheric in quite a euphoric way, with your subconscious making you crave for more.
So there we are, just some of our thoughts on the brand new album. It is dynamic and will take your mind and your senses down so many different avenues, but that is the beauty of what makes National Security Band stand out from all the other rock bands out there. Highly recommended to listen to, Critical Sound Theory is available on all major platforms right now.
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Article By Thushara Chandrasiri
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