Artist: Architecture in Helsinki Song: Contact High (listen) Album: Moment Bends (buy)
You look up the definition of a ‘Contact High’ and it references the high experienced when a person comes into contact with those under the influence of a drug or illegal substance. This is a trivialising definition, as it in no way acknowledges the contact high of a gig or the contact high of a shared experience. Those situations that you get a high from, but only due to the fact that those around you are experiencing similar intense emotions due to the collective consciousness of that moment.
But hey, none of what I just said has anything to do with the actual song but it is partly an explanation as to why I fell in love with it. First listen was enjoyable, I was taken by surprise when I stumbled across it on One Track Mind, the intense beat pounding in the background with the warm and gentle vocals laid over the top. Hmmmm, maybe this is worth another listen? Even just the second time round I found myself craving the chorus, finding the introduction taunting me as it stretched out blissfully while I like a junkie yearned for the ‘Contact High’ to kick in. Before I knew it, it was downloaded and the repeat button was highlighted.
The song creates a bizarre feeling of claustrophobia. Much like the man in the video, phantom hands reach out, caressing your senses. It seems pathetic to object after all you’re enjoying it but...the sense of powerlessness...is unnerving. ‘Walls’, ‘vision gone’, ‘silent down here’ create a feeling of self-imposed helplessness. But the song makes it all seem alright, it may be hopeless but my ‘strange infatuation’ will keep me safe, as will the fact that whenever I listen I get that contact high.
Band: Nevermore Song: The River Dragon Has Come (Listen) Album: Dead Heart in a Dead World (2003) (Buy)
A word of warning: this post is going to be very metal. I try and avoid this when I can, but I feel given recent events it’s appropriate.
“What recent events?” I hear you cry. Nearly two weeks ago, metalheads around the world were given cause for concern when the Seattle-based heavy metal band Nevermore announced the cancellation of their North American tour. Many feared the worst, and for several days this cancellation remained conspicuously unexplained. Finally on the 21st the band released a statement, and while fortunately no band members had died as some were thinking, it was announced that guitar virtuoso Jeff Loomis and high-grade skinsman Van Williams were leaving. While it has not been specifically stated that the band are breaking up, leaving room for speculation that the remaining members will attempt to continue, for many it isn’t Nevermore without Jeff Loomis. Only time will tell what direction they will go in, but in light of these events and as a huge fan of the band I’m going to write about a song that has stuck in my head pretty consistently since I first listened to it several years ago.
The song in question is The River Dragon Has Come, off of their fourth album Dead Heart in a Dead World. I consider this to be their best song, a debatable choice given the quality of the rest of their catalogue. However I feel out of all of all their songs, this one best encapsulates and showcases the greatest aspects of the band; the strong and underrated rhythm section provided by bassist Jim Sheppard and drummer Williams, the incredible and versatile vocals of Warrel Dane and the absolutely sublime guitar work of Loomis, easily one of the best shredders if not all round guitarist around at the moment. This is made possible thanks to the song’s simplicity, its greatest strength and a trait that I find is uncommon to the genre as whole.
I could quite easily write a whole essay on this song so I’m going to have to hold back a little. The song begins with a brief yet instantly memorable clean intro before storming into the opening riff and the first verse. The simple rhythm allows Warrel Dane’s soaring vocals to take the spotlight, with Jeff Loomis eventually complimenting this with an awesome harmonic-laden lead riff. The song begins to pick up a bit of pace with the epic pre-chorus and chorus before jumping back down to the slower main riff. Jeff Loomis then teases you with some brief but blistering licks before the song continues, growing in intensity as it builds up to Loomis’ amazing solo, no doubt one of his best and most recognisable. He starts with an ascending tapping riff as he builds up to the climax of the song, where he unleashes an amazing sweeping riff. This is punctuated by the thunderous rhythm, which this time allows Loomis to take centre stage, his playing made as clear as Dane’s singing in the verses by the supportive drums and bass. He caps this off with a couple of expert licks before launching into the final chorus, where the lead melody of Loomis’ guitar is replaced by Dane’s singing for a climactic finale.
As I said before, this songs strength is in its simplicity, which allows band’s talent to be perfectly showcased. The rhythm section is as solid, pounding and catchy as in any of their songs, whilst Dane and Loomis are at their best as they switch lead positions throughout the song. Often in metal, some of the best and most impressive parts of the song are lost on most listeners by being overly-complex or sometimes just too damn fast. Before you can actually decipher what the musician’s playing, the songs blistering speed brings you to the next section. This song, on the other hand, is so cleanly played and so clearly presented you can’t help but hear each individual section in all their glory, and therein lies its brilliance.
Jeff Loomis will no doubt carry on to equally great things, especially if his solo album is anything to go by, but hopefully my ramblings do a worthy job of commemorating his time in a sadly under-appreciated but truly unique band. Regardless, this is one of those songs that I doubt I will ever get bored off, no matter how much I listen to it, and that’s as much a reason to write about it as any.
PS: If you listen to the song and like it, here are some kickass videos:
Performed live, with Chris Broderick of Megadeth harmonising on the solo perfectly note for note:
For any guitarists out there, a video of Jeff Loomis playing the solo (in case you haven't got it yet, I really like this solo):
Artist: Architecture in Helsinki
