Customer Reviews

Great Filter

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gone is the tUB rING your parents used to listen to. Gone is the original spark of the band that I found like no other. In replace of the wackiness of previous albums tUB rING has released 'The Great Filter' which in my opinion is their most straight foward and weakest offering to date. With a new record company(The End Records) a new guitarist, bassist and drummer on board the chemistry has changed within the band and it is clear to say that 'The Great Filter' does fall short of anything amazing. The band just feels and sounds so different now. Co-produced and mostly written by keyboardist Rob Kleiner with additional lyrics by vocalist Kevin Gibson 'The Great Filter' seems a bit one dimensional and lackluster. But ofcourse it is still better than 90% of what is on rock radio these days. So for some this might be refreshing and interesting but as for me and others who have followed the band 'The Great Filter' pales in comparison to previous efforts.

Well, what can I say about Tub Ring this far into the future? They are probably still one of the most memorable and original bands in the current music scene as was their long-time friends and tour-mates Dog Fashion Disco. Unfortunatley DFD is gone but Tub Ring has resurfaced with a new record to follow-up the fantastic Optics and Sonics release(see also my review for that release). First, the differences. Original bassist Jason Fields is gone and that is a HUGE hit. Most of the songwriting started with him because he is an amazing bass player. Vocalist Kevin Gibson is the only original member left in the band, although keyboard guru Rob Kleiner has been in the band for ten years now and definitely adds a lot. Former guitarist Shawn Sprinkel also left a couple years back and the drummer seat has been revolving for some time as well. So we have three new guys in the band: Bassist Tevor Erb, Guitarist Jeff Enokian, and drummer Chris Wiken. They are great players and their playing on this album is solid. You wouldn't know right away that they were new because their styles are similar to Tub Ring's past players, although Trevor does not play as crazy and intricate as Kevin did on bass. The production on the record is so-so. It seems the keyboards and the drums got the most love on here, as the vocals, guitar, and bass seem to be pretty low in the mix at certain spots. Definitely a raw feeling to the record. It should also be noted that Rob Kleiner produced this record. So, as far as the songs on The Great Filter go...Its a mixed bag. Now if you are a long-time Tub Ring fan then you know that the band has always had pop sensibilities in the vocals, but Kevin always mixed it up in the same songs by adding screams, yells, and other quirky vocal tricks. I'd have to say that some of the songs on here are a little too "friendly" and "safe" for even Tub Ring's style. By that I mean that some of these songs are catchy in a radio-pop kinda way. There is still some aggressive singing on here, but it is few and far between now. This new incarnation of Tub Ring is very melodic and some of the vocals are hard to get used to(see Charismatic Smile and Killers In Love). If you like some of that awful emo racket or any current radio favs you will prolly find something on here to like, and it pains me to say that. Now the music. The music is AWESOME! I like that the songs are very dramatic at times, with a lot of piano and even some trumpets/horns. There are some songs that have very sinister guitar in it too. If you liked how Zoo Hypothesis sounded musically then you will love this. Overall, if you are a Tub Ring fan I do recommend this album, but beware because it is extremely different. It is no longer relevant to compare the band to Mr. Bungle or Faith No More because the music on The Great Filter is miles away from what those bands were doing. The Great Filter is very modern, and with that comes high and low points. Gone is the insane bass-driven chaotic break-neck speed the band had been known for since the Super Sci-Fi Samurai Rockstar album. It is very melodic and even pop at some points. However, don't let this turn you off completely because it is still a fun record and worth repeated listens. I just think albums like Drake Equation and Zoo Hypothesis are way better from a creative standpoint. I recommend you track down their first two full-lengths The Mashed Potato Mountain Etiquette and Super Sci-Fi Samurai Rockstar Turb0 II Ver 3.6 because they are crazy good albums. Everything from Drake Equation to the Great Filter is easily available. Get The Great Filter if you consider yourself a fan at all. Enjoy

This album is a little more pop oriented, but it is just as fun as Tub Ring's other albums.

Scientifically, the Great Filter is the same thing as the Fermi Paradox. And until now, I thought that Fermi Paradox was Tub Ring's worst album. But even Fermi Paradox has at least five songs that I really enjoy. The Great Filter just reminds me of the Tub Ring song "All the Rules Have Changed," to which the lyrics go "we're not trying/we're not even trying any more."

The Great Filter completely lacks the classic Tub Ring energy. There are no moments in the album that make you go, "Whoa, that was cool, what was that?" It's just plain. There are a lot of predictable, repeating choruses, to which the lyrics aren't even close to interesting. You'll get quite comfortable in the standard chord progressions and time signatures.

There was a sticker on the album that said "For Fans of Mr. Bungle," and some other bands. Tub Ring has always gotten guff for being a sort of new-generation Mr. Bungle, but before The Great Filter, at least they pulled it off by writing crazy, neat songs. If you like Tub Ring and want to continue to respect them, don't buy this. If you don't know about Tub Ring yet, buy Drake Equation or Zoo Hypothesis, and you'll see why they (were) one of my favorite current bands.

The title of the track Requiem for a Robot says it all. Dead is the Tub Ring of the past. Kind of. Tub Ring rocks as hard as they ever have, yet have managed to inject all of the melody that they have been striving for. Not as manic as past records, but the songs are a tighter collection, and their live show is still a sight to behold. I've been a fan since Super Sci-fi Samurai, and I certainly don't think that this is their weakest album by a longshot (hello Fermi Paradox). Only the Drake Equation can claim the title of best Tub Ring Album, but this is easily the runner up.