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Thaen Rasmussen Project
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Thaen Rasmussen Project |
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| Thaen Rasmussen Project (TRP) are a hard rock band from the USA formed by guitarist Thaen Rasmussen (Vicious Rumors, Anvil Chorus), and featuring vocalist Torre Carstensen (My Victim, Warning SF), drummer Carter Kennedy (Orchid), and keyboard players Phil Bennett (Mickey Thomas Starship) and Jon Simon (SpyVsSpy), with Rasmussen also handling bass guitar duties. The bands self titled debut album was released in 2022... | ||||||
| ...featuring ten hard rocking songs that blend the sounds of classic, soft, hard, and progressive rock. But storming into life, album opener 'Full Tilt' is a fast paced bolt out of the blue, charging forth with an energetic intent more akin to heavy metal than hard rock! Back in the good old days of heavy metal evolution - the eighties - TRP would most definitely have been a metal band, with 'Full Tilt' as the bands opening gambit clearly having more in common with metal than rock. Which is kinda the opposite where 'Surreal' is concerned, adopting a much more punchy feel, moving in the direction of hard rock territory, starting to define the TRP sound. | ||||||
| The albums hard rocking intensity is starting to flow smoothly now, 'Fire Burns Blue' slowing the pace to a crawl, echoing a sort of doom rock feel...imagine the legendary Black Sabbath playing rock instead of metal! Hard to I know - but that's the ambience rising high off 'Fire Burns Blue'. The band hot footing between metal and rock over the albums opening three songs. Punchy mid tempo hard rock is where TRP swing from next, with 'Rise Above' an infectious and highly melodic stroll. Much more majestic than what has gone before, 'Rise Above' even has little touches of heavy rock and one helluva catchy chorus. And the catchy rock songs just keep coming...'Imaginary Grace' the next melodic meander across the land, diving into the progressive nature of rock too. In fact, the last couple of songs have been heading that way, the band showing incredible diversity within their soundscape. | ||||||
| Planting both feet firmly and squarely on the bridge between rock and metal, 'In The Night' projects an air of the progressive mixed with punchy power, hitting as hard as a jack hammer smashing concrete. The albums hard rocking intensity as intense as it's been since the album began. I tell ya readers - TRP and their self titled album are delivering one of the biggest surprises of the year. Big enough to give the band a shot at the Best Newcomer Of The Year title! I'm really loving this doom rock sound, the band stirring in balladry and serenity to produce the power ballad 'Farewell'. Yes readers, time to raise your lighters high in the air and salute an emotionally charged ballad. And moving to the other end of the scale, 'Freakshow' sees the re-emergence of the bands metal leanings - pace and power united in perfect harmony. What an up and down ride this album is... | ||||||
| ...with so many musical twists and turns you just don't know in which direction it's gonna go next! And now for probably the most oomph laden song on offer - 'Broken Wings'. Hitting hard with a muscular melodic rock sound, 'Broken Wings' would not go amiss on a "driving anthems" compilation. I can just picture it - windows rolled down, stereo turned way up, and an open country road to cruise along. Bringing the album to a close, is the serenity led power ballad 'Time Will Tell' - an after dinner slow dance aroma filling the air...that time late on in the evening with the lights turned low and the warmth of a close embrace with a loved one warming your very soul. What an ending to what has been a cracking album. | ||||||
| Overall, an infectious blend of varying rock styles, musical twists, turns, and a lot of surprises. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Metal Gods TV | ||||||
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