Album Review: Rising Waters – The Fall of Rising Waters

by GDK

For a band that claims to be indie they sure have a lot of blues shredding, coincidence? I think not. I believe Rising Waters are actually a rock band in disguise. They’ve got some seriously strong lyrics and some amazing music to accompany them.

The first time I listened to the album I was very surprised to find some killer pentatonic solos, aside from the smoking guitar work, and tight rhythm playing, there’s some very emotional lyrics that are very easy to relate too. This album is honestly one of the best rock albums I’ve ever heard. It’s very clear that singer Sheldon Hodder puts all he’s got into his vocals and lyrics. Rounding out the band is guitarist Keegan LeBlanc, drummer Richard Shaller, and bassist Nick Patterson.

It seems as if Rising Waters has already had some significant local success so it comes as no surprise to hear the audio clarity and hard work that’s apparent throughout the entire album. There are two tracks that stand out against the others to me ‘Remembrance Day’ and ‘No Apologies’. ‘Remembrance Day’ is an easy going ballad with some very emotional blues inspired solos and ‘No Apologies’ is a rage fueled head banger filled with some very quick harmonic scratches and smooth leads.

This album can easily hold its own against the growing pool of musical talent that is called the east coast of Canada. If you can dig some serious rocking with a good range of emotion this is your album.


Rising Waters – The Fall of Rising Waters floods its way into a 4 strums out of 5!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Amazing album...!! No Apologies is about the murder of kurt cobain....supposedly by courtney love. That song was supposed to be called "Love Kills". The songwriter and singer (my ex) is Richard Schaller...and the drummer os Mike Kemp
Anonymous said…
Yes, richard is the singer, sheldon was the drummer but him and the lead player got in a fight after a show and quit
Anonymous said…
No....Paul Gallant was the drummer on the album. It's inside the liner notes. :p
Anonymous said…
This album is killer.
Anonymous said…
I actually Co-Produced this Album with the bands Singer/Songwriter/ and driving-force, Mr. Richard Schaller..

He (Richard) modestly denies he "co-produced this monster, but I have to give him credit As he was with me almost every step of the way.... My co-pilot...

I describe Richard as a visionary, a rare songwriting talent deserving of so much more success & exposure...

He freely admits he's not the most versatile of singers, but not unlike folks like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan or John Prine, in his element, he shines....

When we met, I was just starting my studio and had little, if any, "street cred".... But we hit it off immediately and worked together well creatively.... So he took a chance on me, and, in turn, I'd take a chance on him...

His budget at that time really only permitted a few days, but the song writing and bands talent blew me away... And I felt it deserved far more then a weekend, "faders up mix"... So I offered up my services at a significantly reduced rate as I could "hear" too much potential to let them
Walk out the door with a rushed production.... And I dont regret it at all.... As now I have the bragging rights to say "I did that!"

It was great on so many levels... I had a bunch production ideas that lent themselves well to the arrangements, and, while not without the occasional debate, Richard gave me a lot of creative freedom, allowing me to stretch my gear and skills to the limits..... And vice versa. There's some tried and tested methods, but a lot of experimentation as well... We didn't always agree, but we worked together well, respected each others opinions, and we both learned from each other in the process...

And in as much as there is often, a LOT going on in these mixes, it makes me smile that you referred to the "audio clarity"... As that was something we strove to achieve, despite the occasional "busy" tracks..... No easy task indeed...

If you'd have asked me 2 years ago if a blues inspired bar-chord Chug, a Dwayne Alman style slide, and a Satriani shred style Guitar sound could co-exist with an acoustic guitar up the middle on the same album, not to mention in the same song, I'd not have thought it possible.... But I'd like to think we pulled it off with style!!! Asteroids is living, hard driving Proof of that!!!

While Richards musical Influences can be easily guessed from the style of what you hear, it makes his songs feel somewhat "familiar" yet still 100% original... I also thought it cool
That he often pays homage to his influences lyrically, some direct and obvious, some a little more subtle...

Even Now, almost 2 years later, when someone wants to hear a demo of "my work" I play them Rising Waters, with Pride, and that's usually all I need to close the deal...

I should point out, however, that your review, while fair and well written, has more then a few errors in assigning credit to "Who did what".

Its not the end of the world, but i mention it as A lot of VERY talented artists contributed to this album, all deserving of credit and mention... (the liner notes have complete details) There were a lot of man-hours put in, up in my loft, on hot summer days with no AC...
Not ideal conditions, but all suffered it out like pro's, especially the Amazing Drummer, Paul Galant who likely lost 50lbs in sweat, never once complained, and delivered solid takes every time...

I'm being redundant now, but it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of this album... And I'm glad you liked it as well... i can only hope the world gets to hear it too.. Perhaps with more promo, & word of mouth like this, they'll get the exposure and accolades they deserve... And I'll
Get to sit back, watch them on E.T., MUCH, & MTV and say "I knew them when......"

Rob Crewe
www.stillwaterstudios.ca
Anonymous said…
that is a cool story