Music Review: Concordia - "Clarity of Perception"

Concordia is a fresh, new five-piece hard/alternative rock band that originated in Cleveland, Ohio in late 2011. Concordia is a testament to just how varied and innovative bands in the hard rock spectrum can be. In one sense, this band is a pure driving force of melodic sounds and instrumentals, but they do so in a way that is powerful and adrenaline pumping all the same. I consider them to be a soft, melodic band with the energy and vigor of a metal band. It can be so rare nowadays to find a band with that uplifting “feel good” melodic sound, but with backing edginess and adrenaline that gets your blood flowing in the process.

Concordia’s debut release, Clarity of Perception, opens up with the track “Spoon-fed Sheep.” This was rightly chosen to be the opening track because it is easily one of the best if not the best on the album and it will likely be one of the defining landmarks for the band. This is my favorite track due not only to its harmonious vocals and a sound not all that dissimilar to Linkin Park (particularly vocalist Eric Emery’s striking similarity to Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington), but also because of the lyrics and the song’s overall pronouncing message.

The song, as evidenced by the lyrics, is largely political. The song deals with the idea of our government’s controlling, manipulating and lying to us while covering up their own vices. After a good keyboard opening, the song soon delves into the first set of lyrics that had my hooked on the song from the start. “Details of the crimes are never found. Secrets, all the lies are disavowed. Photos burned to hide the protected. While our freedom’s rejected.” I can really level with and understand these lyrics and this, along with the fluid instrumentals, really get me fired up and ready to rally behind the band’s beliefs. This opening song did an exemplary job at showing listeners what the band is capable of and how they use their melody blended with raw power to express impacting topics and emotions through their lyrics.

Sci-fi Excerpt: "Incognito"

This is a stand-alone chapter for my sci-fi novel and, again, from the POV of Areya.

Areya watched the various people of the neighborhood go about their business, frowning and muttering words of condemnation for each of their seemingly trivial actions and behaviors as she crossed her arms and meekly observed. None of what these human beings were doing seemed to make sense to her.

She thought back to such occurrences that she’d witnessed since she’d landed here forty-eight lunar rotations earlier…

“Why throw the orange ball into the hoop? Why park the wheeled vehicle between the white lines? Why settle down in huddled groups to watch such preposterous images play across a televised screen? Why gather around the table to eat meals as a family unit rather than doing so of one’s own accord?” she pondered to herself.

It all seemed so utterly pointless. Why did such actions encompass their entire lives when these humans could potentially be invaded by enemies at any given moment?!

Many years ago, as a youngling, Areya had asked her mother and father –two of Clan Varsoloth’s finest military dignitaries- why her own species chose to reject intimate family gatherings. At the time, they had scolded her for spouting such blasphemous notions and showed her the error of her thinking by giving her ten lashes across her olive-skinned face. Afterward, they had then sternly explained to her that their species prided themselves on strength. Family togetherness only increased a youngling’s dependency for its parents; it was a sign of weakness and personal instability.  

Ralph the Central Park Unicorn

“Taxi! Hey, taxi!”

Richard Samson stepped out precariously into the road, waving his hand over his head in an attempt to hail the flashing yellow forms of the cabs zooming by him. He suddenly stepped out precariously close to one of the passing taxi cabs. The cabbie blared his horn and shouted an obscenity out his window as the hurried businessman clipped his right mirror with his briefcase.

Richard cursed and jumped back onto the sidewalk as his black briefcase rebounded off the side of the taxi like rubber, flinging into a nearby puddle of water. His flustered, mustached face looked back in the direction of the fleeing taxi cab. At the last second before it rounded the corner, the cabbie’s hairy arm rose from the window, pronouncing his unceremonious farewell with a middle finger pointed in Richard’s direction.

He rubbed his veiny temples, muttering disdainful words about his job, New York City traffic, the colorful and wonderful cabby that had nearly taken his arm off, and other things that annoyed him in that moment. He gave a grimace as his nimble fingers grasped the handle of his fallen briefcase. He spastically shook the excess mucky water from its leather surface like a dog shaking water out of its fur.

Richard took a deep breath and saw ever more taxis passing by him like a yellow bull rush, obviously oblivious to this working man’s need to hitch a ride home. Across from him, on the other side of the street, something else caught his eye amid the rushing traffic and various street vendors boisterously soliciting their wares.