Search - Quiet Room :: Introspect

The Quiet Room puts the rock back in American rock music!

J. Nash | Lyles, TN USA | 12/30/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you long for the days when we worshipped at the alter of the guitar gods, The Quiet Room has brought it back baby!The first track,A Different Scene, grabs you from the beginnig.Timing changes are quick and constant. Guitarists(extrodinare) George Castor and Jason Boudreau bring back that '70's rock feel with a definite '90's edginess. Frontman Chad Castor sets the pace with an awesome vocal performance ranging from tender and emotional to downright venomous on Laughing At Your Expense.All I have to say about the standout Holding On is just listen. They are The Quiet Room. Melodic,powerful, progressive.But they ain't quiet."

Unheralded prog metal debut

Jeremy Ulrey | Austin, TX | 02/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One might remark that the alleged resurgence of true heavy metal is a passing fad, based on the similarity between the new bands and their '80s ancestors (read: lack of originality). But when you consider that metal in the 1980s was borne from the ashes of classic rock, taking the blues based grooves of the '70s to the next level, it becomes easier to be optimistic about the state of the genre in the next millenium. I say this because The Quiet Room bear more than a passing resemblance to Fates Warning and other technical power metal bands from the turn of the last decade. Nevertheless, what they do is less an outright aping than a reclaiming of the melodic, progressive sounds that American bands seem to have largely abandoned in the last ten years or so (Dream Theater aside, but their status as a metal band is in serious question at this point). It seems ironic that the recent resurgence in prog metal seems largely inspired by the latter band, though the new breed seems more comfortable playing in the style of old school veterans like Fates Warning instead. Good for them. And before I digress any further into a full-blown editorial, allow me to state up front that The Quiet Room are poised to overturn the current prog metal hierarchy, powering their way to the top of the heap with a solid combination of brains, hooks and sheer class. The opening keyboard riff in "A Different Scene" seems a direct homage to FW's Pleasant Shade Of Grey album, which finds them off to a good start. The mood of this album is also one of somber introspection, much like the FW opus, but with more emphasis on classic metal riffery and melodic vocals. I'd also go so far as to say the lyrics are a bit better than those found on ...Grey, which seemed a bit clicheed and typical of the genre (sort of like the dark side to Dream Theater's mindless pondering). I'm probably doing Quiet Room a disservice by offering such heavy comparisons to last year's Fates album, but I do so only because there are a lot of fans of that CD who will want to check this out. If Quiet Room don't throw every 80s trick in the book into their work, it's a result of focus and direction, not lack of originality. Introspect isn't necessarily presented as a concept album, but since the lyrics seem to be pieces of a larger puzzle and the music coheres better as a whole than in individual doses, it should be considered as such and deserves to be ranked at the top of that list. LATE NEWS: Apparently, lead singer Chadd Castor has been replaced by 28-year old Pete Jewell since the recording of the album, but his vocal performances on tour have led to interest by Century Media, so keep an eye on these guys. In the meantime look for Introspect to show up on many top ten lists come year end."

Very Inspirational

Drew Skeeles | United States | 01/18/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Introspect is a masterpiece. "Laughing at your Expense" is ingenius with the high harmonics and dimebag darell riffs. "Second Time Around" is to die for with nicely done keyboard parts and heavy chugging sections which then lead into softer intellectual guitar riffs. The drumming is good but could have worked a little harder. It's an overall winning C.D. that caught my attention the second that I heard it. Dream Theater influences with great keyboard maneuvers. It's a great member of the prog-rock genre."