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Eyestrings biography, Eyestrings discography
Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, June 2004
Detroit, Michigan's Eyestrings debut release Burdened Hands sound a bit like where I thought Spock's Beard were going to go after The Light.Though there are also times, as on "Funnel," that I thought of early Echolyn, specifically of their first album.Oh, it doesn't start that way, of course.American prog rock feel, but prog rock nonetheless.The latter seems more likely.Eyestrings have that element in their music."Slack Jaw" is quirky as well, taking a trad jazz style rhythm on piano and percussion (Bob Young), played with an odd meter, adding some grizzled vocals and you imagine yourself in some seedy looking bar somewhere.Except for that cascading guitar solo; a waterfall of leads, that, for a time, get swallowed up by keyboards, only come out sedately screaming on the other side.Eyestrings is one of those releases that you play once and "Just A Body" leaps out at you, sticks in your head.This is a band that can both rock, and play it close to the vest, in the same song.Incidently, dark prog runs along the Parmenter family tree, as Ryan's uncle is Matthew Parmenter of Discipline, a band that also includes bassist Kennedy.Click on a thumbnail to see larger view.Detroit, Michigan, is headed by composer, keyboardist and vocalist Ryan Parmenter (nephew of DISCIPLINE's Matthew Parmenter) with DISCIPLINE members Mathew Kennedy (bass) and Bob Young (drums) as well as guitarist Alan Rutter from RCA PROJECT completing the roster.Despite the strong DISCIPLINE connexion, however, EYESTRINGS are only a distant cousin, their style being closer to that of SPOCK'S BEARD both musically and lyrically (Parmenter's vocals come quite close to Neil Morse's).Their material is highly song based, with instrumental sections emphasizing the keyboards in particular.Quite an impressive and promising debut album.Plus, the album page (but not the band page) for Gentle Giant's "Octopus."Can't argue with anyone about that.Eyestrings new release "Consumption" almost made me a little nervous the first time or two I listened to it.I'm sure it will for quite a while longer.My favorite track is the the last one.Progressive rock to be sure, but first and foremost...Another Parmenter in the prog field.With two former Discipline band members, Bob Young on drums and Matthew Kennedy on bass, Eyestrings seems like a more mature band with a great rhythmic anchor, soaring vocals that border on a melancholic delivery, and excellent lead guitar by Parmenter's longtime friend Alan Rutter, along with lots of piano, keyboard and percussion elements.Alan Rutter is surely an interesting guitar player.He refuses to stay in the same chord longer than a few seconds, always experimenting and often diverting from the other instruments without losing his focus.This is quite possibly the gloomiest Eyestrings song to date, brimming with pretty instrumental breaks, dense Moog sounds, and textural guitar lines.The beautiful flow of the song is broken up by an ominous acoustic guitar and piano passage with a great tonal range.This interlude helps set the sombre mood the song is intended to possess and then abruptly breaks into a hypnotic guitar theme where Rutter's instrument wails madly inviting multiple layers of vocal harmonies, grey synth textures, and eerie cymbal work by Bob Young.Speaking of Young, this guy is truly one of the finest drummers in American prog rock nowadays.Ryan Parmenter's punctuated synth work.This is another song where the band display their subtle complexity merged into a jazzy context, utilising lots of percussion and drum beats.The last song, "Lifelines", is the album's undisputed epic, clocking in at 20 minutes and going through six movements all of which emphasize another brilliant aspect of Eyestrings.From the opening piano melody and cascading guitar phrases, and even Ryan's vocals, I am reminded of Spock's Beard's The Light period.Glistening cymbals and odd metered drum patterns underlie somewhat operatic vocals and huge Moog sounds.The transitions from one section to another are smooth thanks to the neat mix and production.Consumption is mainly his creation, but at the same time this album wouldn't be as great as it is with different members or less artistic input by each and everyone of them.One of the finest discs of contemporary American prog rock.Stagnant (4:54)
Code of Tripe (12:04)
i.Slate Clean (7:17)
Groove Seven (5:46)
Lifelines (20:00)
i.Sea Of TranquilityFor information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner.Sea of TranquilitySoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)Dynamic progressive rock often swooping from epic to whimsical to downright dark; each unique track's infectious melodies and challenging rhythms are sure to please a variety of music lovers.Based in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, USA, Eyestrings is led by Ryan Parmenter, who functions as the band's primary composer, keyboardist and vocalist.Sometimes dark, sometimes light, but always compelling, Eyestrings creates music that is as emotionally charged as it is complex.Live performances have earned everything from wild hoots to attentive quiet, in following with the dynamic range of the band's music.Burdened Hands is a fine representation of this range.Eyestrings takes the listener on a journey that is often challenging, and always rewarding.The latter includes the sort of sinuous electric guitar work by Alan Rutter that sealed the deal for Discipline's 'Into the Dream.The band amazingly easily and masterfully works with sinuous, constantly twisting instrumental arrangements, including those going along with vocals, and they are almost throughout here...Surely, my CD player will often be burdened with 'Burdened Hands'.Yes, Eyestrings is influenced by, akin to even, Discipline.Next to the Discipline there is the tongue in cheekness of the Crack The Sky's or Ben Folds's of this world, and all other things making this a varied album that is fresh and original.With so many influences at their disposal, it will be interesting to see on future albums if Eyestrings maintain the same diverse but coherent styles or thin them down a little.In conclusion, with Burdened Hands what you get is an excellent American style Prog Rock album.Fans of Spocks Beard should do themselves a favor and check these guys out ...Very cool stuff indeed from a more than promising newcomer.At first, this disc seems to have no cohesion so much tracks have very different styles some of the others, but at the end of several listening, we notice that it is exactly this variety which makes it his its cohesion.Certain passages can remind the SPOCK'S BEARD sound, but EYESTRINGS evolves all the same in a different register.We shall note magnificent 'Empty Box', long composition of 12 '37, who encloses marvelously this cd.But these guys are not another band trying to recreate some vintage 70's sound.They don't wear capes (at least not in public) and they don't sing about utopias envisioned by Roger Dean.No sophomore blues for these guys.It is one of my best music purchases this year!It's really hard to describe their sound, because the style is so varied, I detect influences from Bowie to Pearl Jam.Everything is on a very professional level, from the musicianship to the sound quality.About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)Dynamic progressive rock often swooping from epic to whimsical to downright dark; each unique track's infectious melodies and challenging rhythms are sure to please a variety of music lovers.All Sales Final2 Valid For A Week3 Stagnant4 Code Of Tripe5 Slate Clean6 Groove Seven7 Lifelinestry thisalbums you will loveEYESTRINGS: Burdened Handsgenres you will loveRock: Progressive RockRock: Modern RockMood: BroodingBy LocationUSA: MichiganRecommended if you like ...Most of the time it will take a while before I will write the review of a new album...But now I noticed that this album is very special.Eyestrings has with 'Consumption' made a very strong album with intelligent progmusic.The last song, 'Lifelines', is the album's undisputed epic, clocking in at 20 minutes and going through six movements all of which emphasize another brilliant aspect of Eyestrings...One of the finest discs of contemporary American prog rock.Genesis, Anthony Phillps, lot of KC, Zappa, Van Der Graaf and Radiohead along with tons of mellotron.Split Difference Records, to earn critical praise and begin developing their fanbase.April 2004: Eyestrings perform a Progressive Showcase at Orion Sound Studios in Baltimore, Maryland, with the progressive band Sonus Umbra.Tiles and Space Nelson as part of the Motor City ProgShow series.April 2005: Eyestrings perform, along with Tiles and several of the finest current progressive rock bands at the 2nd annual Rites of Spring Festival (ROSfest) in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.Primary tracks for the 2nd album by Eyestrings were recorded at Windfall Recording in Hammondsport, New York, engineered by Benjamin Ridley.Eyestrings recorded the remainder of the tracks at their home studio, where they also mixed the album.Ryan learned piano by ear starting at age 11.He played trombone in gradeschool through high school, and participated in his high school's excellent choir program, where he learned a great deal of music theory.Soundtrack CDs and current information on his forthcoming solo release are available at ryanparmenter.Alan Rutter is the guitarist for Eyestrings.Alan learned to play the guitar during high school, and, along with Ryan, participated in his high school's choir and drama programs.RCA Project, before returning to Michigan to reconnect with Ryan and help form the band that would become Eyestrings.West African and Indian drumming techniques, Bob's djembe and tabla rhythms enhance the atmosphere of several tracks on the new album.Please log in to review this album.Why not try this instead?The way he wraps his guitar lines around subtle piano and bass tapestries evokes earlier day Echolyn to me, not necessarily musically, but stylistically he has a somewhat similar approach.He refuses to stay in the same chord longer than a few seconds, always experimenting and often diverting from the other instruments without losing his focus.Click on link above to read the whole review...Please log in to email this artist.Time Will Tell 3:36
10."Burdened Hands" is the debut album by Eyestrings.Mathew Kennedy and Bob Young.Above all, I think I should note that all the music and lyrics on the album are issued from Ryan's pen.In the CD press kit are listed the bands and performers which exerted the strongest influence on the young Parmenter and his formation as a musician and composer: The Beatles, Genesis, Yes, etc.Fusion camp, while the said genre is the most substantial constituent of the band's style.That special feature of the music on "Burdened Hands", as well as the complexity of it, will hardly strike your eye (or ear) at the first acquaintance with the album.Nevertheless, this is the fact, even if it isn't as immediately evident as those 'confirming' the high originality and attractiveness of this music.These six are the best tracks on the album, and the latter two are just superbly intricate and, thus, are my favorites.The band amazingly easily and masterfully works with sinuous, constantly twisting instrumental arrangements, including those going along with vocals, and they are almost throughout here.Fusion, though these are ballads rather than songs.As for Nothing, I am inclined to think that this thing got an appropriate title, at least in some ways.Nevertheless, my overall attitude towards this album is more than merely positive, and those few minor flaws just cannot impair it.Surely, my CD player will often be burdened with "Burdened Hands".
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