Into the Gallows

For any self respecting fan of local acts, I'm sure we all have those memories of the local bands that made our growing up years all the more worthwhile. Too young to hit the pub but too old to hit up a daytime weekend movie if it wouldn't lead to a bit of lovin'. These bands are the ones that kept us from a life of 96.1.

Personally, my younger years revolved around a band called Lucretia. Through the week they were merely school friends who I'd accompany to the tuck shop, but come the weekend, they annihilated their instruments too easily for individuals so young. Often I'd get tired of seeing them embarrass adult musicians who'd clearly spent too much time learning off Linkin Park tabs. The more they soared the heights, the more I road them all the way hoping that living through them would make my own lack of talent at anything a little less noticeable.

Needless to say their self imposed indefinite hiatus left me somewhat empty.

Flash forward several years, overseas trips, all kinds of music degrees and a fresh face and what you have is Geminine. Of course any fan meets a new incarnation of their once loved teenages Gods with skepticism but upon hearing their track "Gallows" it was clear the time pursuing other things has served them well.

Artists like Cog & Karnivool brought a greater respect to the need for a solid vocal (an element Lucretia also had) and in amongst the plethora of chunky riffs and piss poor singers, lies the wealth of talent that is Geminine. "Gallows" displays a great deal of musical maturity and where other artists tipping toward the heavier side of music focus on some 10 minutes affair in which they seem to forget they are not Metallica and people won't tolerate an 8 minute solo, Geminine seem to focus on combining all the elements of a powerful rock song without spending all their time letting us know just how fast they can be or how long they can stretch out a song.

Within Geminine there is clearly a balance to music which only comes with the ability to harness restraint. The track "Changes" still delivers the driving bass line and thick layered guitars however it also shows yet another demonstration of the need to embrace the subtle side of the genre. Think the ability to really ramp up a song from zero to sixty much like Full Scale but without the over exaggerated commercialism and a failed stint in the US.

No frills, no gimmicks, just a pulsating wall of sound.

21 Nov: Catch Geminine @ the Jolly Frog in Windsor

"Changes" is available for download @ Triple Unearthed
"Gallows" can be streamed @ their myspace.