|
|
By Omar Perez
From www.altarnative.com
With the 1995
death of Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon and the ensuing breakup of the
band, bassist Brad
Smith and guitarist
Christopher Thorn were left in limbo, at least temporarily. It wasn't a
matter of when they would get back into playing music, it was a matter
of when they could put their ghosts behind them and start over.
"I knew I would continue in music, but it was just getting over the pain of Shannon- of losing a good friend and losing a great singer," says Smith. "I never felt finding a new singer was the way to go. We were in shock for a few months, and moving forward just took a little time."
Luckily,
time heals all wounds and new opportunities arise. Such is the case
of Unified Theory (Smith, Thorn,
vocalist/guitarist
Chris Shinn and drummer Dave Krusen), which-- although halfway spawned
from the ashes of Smith and Thorn-- serves as a rebirth of sorts for the
two, and as a new entity in its own right for the band.
"I think 'Oh, it's those two guys from Blind Melon" will be the immediate response to our record." Smith says. "But as time goes on people will say it's Unified Theory. Once they get to know it more and they realize how different it is and how it stands on its own two legs musically and artistically, that little tag will dissolve over time."
To be released next month, the self-titled debut recalls some of the psychedelic episodes of Blind Melon but builds on them as well, adding dreamy landscapes and alt-rock-fed grooves to their material. Shinn's vocals add a tinge of silver-voiced hues to the atmospheric "California." "Another Piece of Me" offer solid, bass-heavy hooks, while the soothing, trance-like "Fin" brings in rich vocal harmonies.
Unified Theory, originally named Luma, was born when Thorn, who tired of laying low in the music scene in Seattle (where he and Smith lived running their respective studios), moved to Los Angeles in early 1998 and, three months later, discovered Shinn, who at the time played with heavy rock outfit Celia Green. Smith relocated, then the lineup was complete when Krusen, the original drummer for Pearl Jam who at the time played with Candlebox, enlisted.
"The chemistry was there," Smith says. "We didn't have to try for it [to work]. It kind of happened, and it felt right." After writing the first songs, which include "Cessna" and "Passive," the hopeful band started contacting the record labels.
"The whole record industry environment was much weirder this time around than with Blind Melon," says Smith, citing the surge of MP3s, boy bands and Korn-flavored acts. "In Blind Melon days all you had to do was write good music."
Now with the release
of a debut album and a subsequent tour, Unified Theory ponder the big question.
But the answer to the band is all the same. "Whether we have a hit or not
remains to be seen, but I know that as long as you write good music people
will come watch you play and buy your records. All you have to do is retain
your artistic integrity."