Egypt Central
White Rabbit

By Todd Jolicouer

Satellite Radio’s Octane has introduced this reviewer to several young and exciting bands this summer. Another of those is Egypt Central. This isn’t their first rodeo, but certainly their first foray into some fame, fortune, and tons of radio airplay. John Falls leads the charge and uses his voice to tell the stories on this disc. He is just as comfortable signing as he is screaming to accent his point. Nope, this isn’t screamo, he simply takes the intensity up a notch at times – this is a good thing.

“Ghost Town” takes charge of this disc from the instant the drums and guitar kick in. The song lulls you into a safe haven of piano and soft vocals and then slams into solid hard rock as the listener is informed they will be ‘first against the wall.’ “White Rabbit” is the first single, and deservedly so. This metal take on a modern day Alice in Wonderland tears the lid off and keep s things headed in the right direction. I would love to see this one performed live. Next up is “Goodnight,” with its acoustic opening and John’s soulful vocals. Next thing you know Jeff James (guitars) and Blake Allison (drums) are bringing this album back to the rock side. I haven’t forgotten bassist Joey Chicago. If you have listened to any of the lyrics on this disc or the bands previous offering, you have come to appreciate Joey. According to John, he is the main lyricist, and for good reason. He makes every song seem so personal. This is true even on “Kick Ass.” This song has anthem or sports written all over it (John even hinted at a major tie in with sports this fall).

“Change” is next, and from the first strands of the song, you thing change just might be in order for the band, but then the guitars ramp back up and the song takes off, bringing the song back around. This song shows how diverse the band can be. Next up is “The Drug” and I can’t tell if I need to listen to the lyrics or just listen to the hypnotic rhythm of the drums and guitar needling in the background. This song really delves into the macabre side of drug use. One of my personal favorites is “Down In Flames.” The songs intro is different from anything on the album, but once the song gets going, you see how the band has incorporated anthemic yells, harmonies, and even a little screaming to drive home the point of having to change the way society is headed. The conclusion to the story that started with “The Drug” is “Enemy Inside.” This song comes off as a ballad, but it is more a song of self-realization. How many of us each deal with the enemy inside us? Thanks for giving us something to think about.

“Blame” kicks the final third of the disc off and the song is unlike most on the disc, with time changes and some back and forth in the vocals. The solid musicianship helps steer this song along. Not my favorite, but not a bad tune. Following that we have “Dying To Leave.” This one is about someone wanting closure in a relationship. They want to be looked in the face and told why the relationship is over. Don’t get me wrong, the tone doesn’t indicate any request for reconciliation, just wanting to know what went wrong. “Surrender” is a call to arm for the self proclaimed outcasts to ‘never give in, never surrender.’ A fitting end to the rock tracks on this disc. The final track, “Backfire,” is an acoustic track that, although it has beautiful lyrics and melodies, doesn’t seem to fit this disc. They perform it well – maybe it should have been saved for their next record.