Last year Ben Draiman moved us with his EP “The Past is Not Far Behind”, featuring piano driven power ballads, giving his all to such an emotionally turbulent release. It touched a spark inside of us, something we’ve never felt when listening to an album before, so when we were told we were reviewing his latest release “Another Perfect Storm” along with producer and guitarist Raz Klinghoffer we expected, something similar as before.
And oh boy, how wrong we were!
It’s old school rock and roll at its finest. Expecting nice piano ballads? This is balls-to-the-wall rock and roll! Definitely another side of Ben, and we love it. We love it SO much that we are honored to make them, once again, our Indie Band/Artist of the week!
It almost seems like I’m not even listening to the Ben Draiman I knew from the last EP, but what connects the two are the emotionally painful lyrics, still as fresh as they were before. “The Way We Live” clears the path of the album, making sure you’re aware of the change with the crunching guitar riff and the drums beating solidly behind, with “Really Want To” and “Trust” adding a different, almost melancholic twist to the sound, as Ben’s voice still cuts through the mix, with “Wendy” cutting through emotionally, you can hear the pain from the story behind it. As the album progresses, “Mister, Mister” and the ballad title track “ Another Perfect Storm”, turns his music into the platform which he stands on, and he makes it quite clear that he should be listened to. One song that seems almost out of place is “Burden”, but at the same time it’s just catchy as fuck. The strong keyboard riff at the beginning, the distorted bass (that does admittedly not cut through at the best of times throughout the album) shines through, powering Ben through the song, along with an even synth breakdown. I’m not too keen on breakdowns but all of the songs from the album work like a puzzle, and when put together, they are seamless. “Conversations” ends the album in a bittersweet goodbye. It’s the proud curtain call of the album, as though Ben’s making a nod towards his last EP before making a bow to the listener and saying “Goodbye, and thank you for listening.”
Another Perfect Storm – Another Perfect Storm (OFFICIAL LYRICS VIDEO)
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There isn’t anything to compare Ben to his brother, Disturbed frontman’s David Draiman. Ben’s stepping out of his brothers shadow, doing something completely different. They both shine equally and for different reasons. All I can say is that it’s Ben’s time to shine. He knows what works, he knows how to use it, and isn’t afraid to show it.
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