While perusing through 51 Peg's electronic press kit, I noticed a recurring theme/stance that the band strongly re-enforces. That concept is the dying trend of originality. Sure you will hear this band and run to your friends telling them, "Oh it's like Nine Inch Nails" or perhaps even "It's like Powerman 5k and Rob Zombie!” WRONG. As the band says in their biography, "resist the urge to categorize". I agree wholeheartedly with their statement and the message they are backing.
After seemingly being screwed over by bad luck and the music business, 51 Peg pulled through to record their latest album, "ESC/CTRL". Through their Myspace page (www.myspace.com/51peg) and their press kit, a new listener can explore the world of 51 Peg with sample songs off their latest record. Their website (www.51peg.com) is also a good resource full of pictures, merch, mailing lists, and more, all done with a beautifully designed futuresque layout.
The first song on their press kit, "Thin Victory", is a good way to jump right in. You are greeted with a dance rhythm on the drums, only to be kicked in the face with a nice heavy guitar line that really sets up the idea of surprise that the band seems to aim for. Continuing into the song, I realize that 51 Peg is one hell of a nice puzzle. Jeff Sargent's vocals are the perfect fit for the instrumentation and his lyrics are not just your average, "I hate everything about you", that the commercial radio world is so fond of. The drums (Brian Fasani) are the perfect hybrid between electronic and acoustic maintaining the power and purity while mixing in new concepts and sounds that only electronic kits can do. I hear the synth (Jaime Nish) as both a secondary vocal and as a lead instrument, whose sounds are wisely picked to mesh perfectly with the production of the song. Of course, there is the guitar (Carlo Pizarro), which blends in the rock riff and matches up with Sargent's vocal timbre. What about a bass player you say? I say they sound full and powerful enough as is!
After our introductions, we come to the second track, "Delectable News". When you're listening to this track you can see that this is not a band that's scatterbrained. 51 Peg has their signature sound, and they continually progress with it, re-inventing what every instrument should bring to the table. I think now's also a good time to commend the overall mix of these songs, as I believe it is a job well done. The true test is to burn the songs to a CD (buy it too! www.51peg.com) and play them in my car. 51 Peg's mixing is a complete success in my view, as I can hear everything clearly and the tones truly define the band overall. I sense a great amount of energy on the CD and I'd like to see how much there is at a live show (looking at pictures it seems like exciting live performances).
The third song on their press kit, “Stalemate", is my favorite so far. I really dig the soundscapes of people talking with a simple, yet catchy guitar hook lying right in the foreground. Once again, the synth voices used have fantastic companionship with the rest of the song. None of the instrumentation is overbearing or absurd, parts just weave in and out with just the right amount of timing and volume. The song rocks heavy, but does not leave a mess like some bands who try to accomplish the alchemy of blending genres. Unfortunately, the song fades out (due to time restrictions) at what is building to be the coolest part of the song; the breakdown. I would love to hear the rest of this one and surely would get a kick out of seeing it live.
51 Peg: Raves
Befuddled in a dark, hollow cavity focus is not yet in tune. Out of sync with the surroundings, trapped in void, all control is lost. Familiar resonance, like that of spoken sound waves bouncing off one wall onto another in a completely empty room, is heard in the distance. Scurrying now, hoping for answers, the noise is followed as it progresses deeper into the darkness. The echo of escape drifts through the emptiness, but quickly dwindles until it has fully vanished. The confusion of entrapment within the darkness returns.
Though it is a vague description, this is the best I can do to portray the scene shaped in my mind. Vivid imagery is created by the introductory song, “Below the Soul(e)” on ESC/CTRL, the second release from Northern Virginia’s 51 Peg. What you may hear at the beginning of the track is subtle reverberations following what sounds like the ping of a tuning fork being struck against a hard object. Note vibrations begin strong and slowly fade as the ping of metal repeats two more times, the last of which is accompanied by almost unnoticeable, unsteady, and perhaps panicked breathing. Abruptly then music forcefully interrupts with a building guitar that has an initial distant sound and quickly comes forward with vigor, almost like a racecar zipping by at the race track. This type of in and out, build and fade sound continues similarly throughout the whole song with electronics which replace the tuning fork and guitar sounds. The lyrics seem to back up the imagery the song creates with phrases like, "This happy hole that I have found has led me into open spaces every step I take on solid ground leads me further into consternation and I never meant to take the me out of me I’ll never give you control."
Sometimes blatant and sometimes subtle, references to ideas of “escape” and “control” are consistent throughout the album. Thus, ESC/CTRL could not be a more fitting title for this album, but not only due to theme. Intertwining electronic and sampled sounds with the steady drumbeats and crisp guitar gives additional meaning to the computer oriented title using computer keyboard symbols for "escape" and "control." Samples and faint voice-overs are frequently used and are effective in influencing further mental imagery and interpretation. The album is rich with diversity, each song setting itself apart from the others, while the underlying theme remains in focus.
“Thin Victory,” the heaviest track on the album, is loaded with heavy electronics and very crunchy guitar. The chorus is catchy and impossible not to sing along with. “Access Denied” is solely an instrumental and electronic piece implementing odd sounds, voice-overs, and keys. There is much going on in the background of not only this track, but most songs on the album. In description this may make the album seem rather busy and unfavorable, but that really isn't the case. The oddities of sound are frequently entangled very subtly in the song so that the resulting sound is actually harmonic and able to flow quite well.
“Landmine” has to be one of the best tracks on the album. Land mine, an explosive mine laid usually just below the surface of the ground, implies a trapped feeling of being underground in a cave-like cocoon; a thought inline with the reoccurrent imagery and theme. The song is very calm and steady, not at all explosive like the title implies, but rather mellow like in a state prior to explosion. The chorus and keys accompany each other with memorizing and addictive results.
ESC/CTRL is a complex album that sways above and below the surface in both music and thought. Following up the debut release, Strange Appointments released back in 2000, 51 Peg has continued to expand upon their strengths and has created yet again an enjoyable compliation.
level of consciousness: 9 out of 10… the album is too brief, but song quality is always better than quantity
recommended tracks: “Below the Soul(e),” “Thin Victory,” “Access Denied,” “Landmine,” & “Underthumb”
track listing:
01. Below the Soul(e)
02. Thin Victory
03. Stalemate
04. Access Denied
05. Delectable News
06. Landmine
07. Underthumb
51PEG return to the forefront of the electronic rock scene after a lengthy absence in full force with their new release. Although four years have passed and a member has left the band since their first CD "Strange Appointments", the band has lost none of the raw energy harnessed for the impressive debut.
In fact, it appears that they have withered the hardships of lineup changes, management problems, and the hassle of dealing with labels and fostered that energy until it could not be controlled and had to escape like a supernova onto the music scene.
So it is entirely fitting that the new album is entitled "ESC/CTRL". And true to that theme, 51PEG have broken away from their original sound and evolved into a very powerful band. The new album is incredibly diverse and encompasses a wide range of sounds and layers.
The intelligent programming and textured synths of Jaime Nish are flawless, and leave you breathless. The guitar work is very progressive and sophisticated, and fills the music with a sense of balance. Carlo Pizarro blends a sense of distorted jazz and industrial to the mix, and I think it is exactly the thing that gives 51PEG such power.
The electronic V drums are the most intense you will ever hear, and Brian Fasani has been equated as a living drum machine by pulling off such tight, hypnotic drum lines ala "Thin Victory".
Now we come to my favorite part. The vocals. Jeff Sargent is an incredible singer with a very talented range. At times I hear vocal melodies reminiscent of early Scott Weiland, while at other times I am at a complete loss for words. These are some of the most well thought out and intelligent lyrics I have ever read. If you are not immediately hooked by the music, the lyrics and vocals will suck you in soon enough.
With such clever and addictive songs as "Thin Victory", "Access Denied", and "Landmine" it is impossible not to enjoy "ESC/CTRL". It is a solid album from a very passionate and hardworking band that I urge everyone to check out, and watch out for them when they explode.
Rating 10/10
51 Peg's Management team sent over a terrific media package with all kinds of interesting tidbits about the band. Apparently, 51 Peg has played with everyone under the sun: Orgy, Dope, Twisted Method, Tapping the Vein, Bile, Dog Fashion Disco, Sev, Ebo, Imbue, Good Charlotte, Twenty Ripped Angel, Jimmy's Chicken Shack, Dimm, Malvado, and Skitzo Calypso to name a few.
Not to shabby at all for a band still masquerading all over the East Coast as an underground act. Their latest release ESC/CTRL may well give them the final push they need to emerge above ground once and for all.
When I sat down to write this piece, I was listening to WIYY - 98 Rock's Noise In The Basement with Matt Davis. Madison Apart's lead guitarist Zakk Farkas told me to tune in and check out the show, so I did. I'm sitting there writing when 51 Peg's Thin Victory came on the radio seconds before I reached to push play on the same song in the CD player. It was so strange.
The 3 song ESC/CTRL Sampler boasts 3 strong contributions, but my humble opinion has 2 of the 3 tracks outshining the third. Delectable News is just a little too Godsmack on the vocal tip, but overall it's still a driving but catchy Industrial piece. Thin Victory and my personal favorite
Stalemate jumped out and grabbed me moreso than Delectable News. All three cuts are on the
cutting-edge of today's commericial Rock music scene and particularly standout as compared to the Mid-Atlantic Mainstream.
Drummer Brian Fasani, guitarist Carlo Pizarro, and synth tech Jaime Nish have a very interesting musical relationship. I know from personal experience how hard it can be to come up with an even balance of three instruments that can easily overlap each other if not properly melded. Brian manages to play under Jaime without sounding too synthetic or too flowery for the songs. Jamie walks the tight rope gracefully using dashes and spritzes of synthesizer instead of overwhelming drowning tones. The groove is there without your ears having to look for it.
Carlo shines the brightest on Thin Victory. His guitar work leads the song. When the track finishes playing, his guitar is what your brain has imprinted. Vocalist Jeff Sargent's vocal work encompasses a myriad of ranges. His raspy falsettos cross the t's and dot the i's in the compilation. Over all - he has a strong, appropriate, vocal presence for the songs on the sampler, but his vocals remind me of Korn's Jonathan Davis on some songs. Others remind me of Godsmack's Sully Erna's vocals, but having familiar-sounding vocals isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Far from Techno, the 51 Peg sound is big enough and diverse enough to escape the late 80's moniker. ESC/CTRL falls somewhere between Cypher, Twenty Ripped Angel and Rob Zombie. I want to slap anyone who thinks 51 Peg and Techno belong in the same sentence. They're Industrial.
From a simply evolutionary standpoint, Techno would be 'ape'. 51 Peg's sound would be 'man'. Regardless of classifications, it takes more than just great sound and great looks to pull 'it' off these days. Terrific vocals, intriguing lyrics, and underlying rhythms make ESC/CTRL a good buy for your hard-earned dollar.
Even at the highest echelons of electronica-rock fusion, it's difficult to find performances as compelling as those of 51 Peg. They cite Depeche Mode as one of their influences, and it's easy to hear why, but in some respects they beat the standards set by the genre graybeards. The overriding difference lies in the passion that 51 Peg pours into their work. On "Conditioner" a sampled plea for help, distorted to create a sense of hallucinogenic desperation, repeats at the intro over a ghostly lick that recalls Kraftwerk's "Trans Europe Express." The rest of the song artfully balances spare verses, with lots of space around the synth figures, against guitar-driven choruses that erupt with immediate and hair-raising intensity. All of this supports vocals by Jeff Sargent, whose dynamic range, gut-wrenching delivery, and ability to sing overdubbed harmony parts reflect a rare level of artistry. (This is especially evident on his raw but impeccably executed three-part work toward the end of the verses on "Apology.") Sargent stalks through baritone territory, yet cuts through Brian Fasani's thrashing Roland V-Drum rhythms and Carlo Pizarro's ear-flattening guitar washes with no problem. This same impression conveys on "Conditioned Addendum," an emphatic, up-tempo slammer animated by wide dynamic variation, meticulous arrangement (especially in the switch to a slow-motion backbeat a short ways into the bridge), and some genuinely thrilling vocals. (Something in Fasani's sound and furious intensity on "Conditioned Addendum" recalls the best of Brian McGee's drumming with Simple Minds.) These tracks suggests that 51 Peg is a killer live band as well, but even if you don't catch them in action on their home turf around Washington, D.C., there's more than enough great stuff in these three tracks to strongly recommend Strange Appointments on its own merits.
Dark, lustful vocals, dynamic guitar riffs, complex keyboards, and ear shattering drums. Modern, multifaceted stirred in with classic 80’s glam rock, 51 Peg knows where music should be headed! Jeff, lead singer for 51 Peg, has a voice of the legends such as David Bowie and Peter Murphy. His name will be on the lips of all who have experienced 51 Peg. His voice is something, which will be remembered by all who listen. One with a voice such as his needs a band that will be able to back up his voice and enhance it. Jamie, Carlo, and Brain do just that! Jamie, keyboardist for 51 Peg, brings his classical musical talent to the forefront. Especially with intricately deigned keyboard samples and notes welded together to create something one has heard before. Crunching guitar riffs help and to this new experience of music. Carlo, guitarist, adds depth and creativity with the edgy melodies he exhibits. He was born to play guitar! However, no one can forget about the backbone of any band – the drummer. Brian is a master at the V-drums. Brain can be compared to the likes Bobby Hewitt, former drummer for Orgy. He uses the v-drums as an instrument of perfection without all mechanical sounds, which a v-drum can produce. Together this band can bring down the house. They’ve played with the likes of Good Charlotte, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Tidewater Grain, Sunna, Tabloid Nation, SEV, ebo, Smartbomb, Dog Fashion Disco, Tapping the Vein and Wolfpac.
Since it’s release in October 2000, their Debut album Strange Appointments has sold over 3,000 copies. It’s obvious why! Certainly something the band can be proud of. Along with that 51 Peg has seen Strange Appointments featured on the listening station at Tower Records. 51 Peg has received other major honors and recognitions. I’m sure many more are on their way.
I have fallen for this band! They have a unique sound all their own. I’m especially astonished that they headlined at the Gothic Room at the 12th Annual Anne Rice Coven Party held on October 27, 2000 in New Orleans! I’m a huge fan of Anne Rice, and for them to be there and headline would be an incredible honor for me as I’m sure it was for them. Their sound definitely fit in. Jeff’s voice does have this preternatural sound, which is inconceivable! Carlos, Jaime, and Brian are also amazing. They really have launched music in a new and exciting direction. I’ll be looking for them in the future – they’ve made a fan of me!
Rating: 5 Stars out of 5
The only strange thing about 51 Peg's new recording, Strange Appointments, is that they haven't made an appointment with a major label. From start to finish Jeff Sargent (vocals/synth), Joe Barowy (guitars/guitar synth), Giancarlo Pizarro (guitars) and Brian Fasani (drums) sound like seasoned vets as they present an album full of sterling material. Born of an industrial bloodline, 51 Peg is able to create a machine-driven sound without being mechanical while making it. The heat of the grinding guitars rumble under low, throaty vocals, scratch breaks, sound effects, and jackboot beats. It's kind of like Rammstein, but more melodic and less melodramatic--and that's a flattering comparison to say the least. "Plasticity" and "Conditioned Addendum" are regimented slabs of inspiring noise that are off-set nicely by the slow burning stance of tracks like "UV", "Dust and Grind" and "Happy Family". The band also evidences an urban sensibilityon "Conditioner" and the almost funky "Apology", a great leadoff to be sure. Synthesized sounds and processed effects also permeate the record on offerings like "Hope" and "Destiny Sponge". These guys pull out all the stops while making the most of their impressive material. Of course it helps that they know not only how to write and play, but how to record as well. Kudos to 51 Peg along with Dave Tedesco and Mark Berry who teamed to make Strange Appointments such a sonic delight.
As the song goes, who feels it knows it. I defy anyone at his or her indoctrinary 51 Peg concert - to not feel it. Personally I'll go as far as to claim to know it. Because this band has got it. And the fact that they won this evening's battle of the bands proves it. Although they took the stage-as that overburdened fog machine breathed itself into its employment-as openers, the club was already populated to its evening nadir. How do you even follow an act this good? The buzzword here is professionalism--the likes of which is rare amongst a group of beginners. No famous bands on the individuals' resumes. One album to boast of - and as well they shall - released over a year ago. Nothing but an impressive work ethic in that they've played out constantly since then. which explains the live presentation.
And that is what we concern ourselves with now, being that the debut was reviewed (albeit belatedly) withing these pages last month. Only the first couple of tracks and the final track are held over from number one, as number two is well on its way, and should see the she-synthist Jaime's first studio appearance with what was initially a dual guitarist/frontman/drummer configuration. Singer Jeff Sargent makes that much more of an impression fronting the stage, returning to his keys only at choreographed inter-verse intervals. And it never hurts to have a babe in the band. The contrivance of keeping Jeff in front is to feature his vocal--another savvy move. Take Peter Murphy without the quirks, for starters. For the industrially oriented, think Clay People and Psychotica. That's right-good company. Commercial accessibility? They've got that covered, thank you - a less hammy-glammy Orgy comes to mind, but 51 Peg leaves the bubblegum on the counter and pockets the hooks instead.
This mid-Maryland band considers themselves "the new breed of electronic rock", perhaps referring partly to the bass-less setup of synthesizer, guitar synth, guitar and electronic drums. Whatever. If 51 Peg is the new breed of anything, it's simply relevance in the new millennium.
The night time attendance (at the Millenium Music Conference) was massive and all the showcases I checked out were packed to capacity, especially the Unsung Hero Magazine showcase at Shakey's which featured the band that blew me away and made my whole weekend; 51 Peg. Taking electronica, new wave, goth and a few other influences and churning them in a magic blender, 51 Peg has managed to seize that elusive mystery ingredient that makes their performance something special.