Stubborn

Systematic work, clear goals and more affordable software like Pro-Tool put all the aces in the hands of those who dare to take the risk, package and market their ideas entirely on their own, and confidently stand behind the colors they used to paint their aural-mental landscapes. In the spirit of the do-it-yourself ethic, at the end of May this year the local record scene got another addition after roughly seven years of existence: the young guns from Nova Gorica, Y-Knot.

Y-knot started out in 1999. The original four-piece lineup, a drummer, a bassist and two guitarists, mostly played instrumental music until a singer joined and the band started writing original material. For a fuller sound they also brought a keyboardist on board, and at the end of 2005 they wrapped up recording their first CD, with ten original songs. They say themselves that they’re known as a band for great energy on stage, interaction with the crowd, a recognizable singer’s voice and a distinctive grunge-metal guitar sound. But the very first listen to Stubborn hints at a bit more than just a grunge-metal combo. In fact, by mixing guitar melodies with a keyboard-and-drums compact alloy of the rest of the lineup, they come closest to a slightly metalized version of progressive rock that smells of Dream Theater. Partly thanks to the vocals too, which drift into waters where James LaBrie would feel completely at home. All they lack is some explosiveness and a bit more swimming out into the less expected, and they’d be a thoroughly solid Dream Theater copy, say on Train Of Thoughts. For grunge, though, there’s too little melancholy and not nearly enough ten-ton blocks of concentrated nihilistic longing to end existence here and now.

The album opens up very nicely with an ambient intro into the song ‘Struggle’, and soon the first flame, which they Promethean-ly lit or at least deftly swiped from some already proven virtuosos, gets a genuine dose of kerosene poured on it: energy that the band, at least judging by the recordings, definitely has. The inventive development of the instrumental unfolds with ‘Invoked’, which stylistically strongly recalls the next song as well, ‘Breakdown’. Still, the whole set of ten songs would have a hard time serving up anything you could call a hit, because there’s no real sense of intimacy and authenticity, at least when it comes to the lyrics. Slovenian bands think they can make up for the feeling of being limited by their origins, by the difficulty (and, at the same time, the beauty) of the Slovenian language, with the nicer-sounding, cooler or, I don’t know, more “authentic” sound of English. And this syndrome is all-Slovenian. Honestly, I can hardly name a Slovenian release that has touched me with its lyrics. Apart from, say, Demolition Group from Brežice and similar excursions… Anyway, Y-Knot have proven with this record that, despite it being only the beginning, a debut, they’ve reached the potential of a quality, expressive, and above all intelligent and remarkably multidisciplinary rock band. The design is top level. And what’s wrapped inside the sleeve is a very digestible, easy-to-listen-to little record.

Honestly, even some more established aces would have a hard time being ashamed of it, though it’s true that production-wise it’s hardly a milestone in Slovenian (or cosmopolitan world) music production. The more pertinent question is who (if anyone at all) in Slovenia could deliver a truly quality metal producer’s service. Despite the smallness our young hopefuls face every day and at every step, I believe that, at least in Y-Knot’s case, they’re outgrowing the Slovenian frame, and that the pull toward the world abroad that Stubborn radiates and shows quite clearly is not just a distant illusion but, with a little luck and some smart marketing, a perfectly achievable goal. The guys have done their work so far with a lot of effort. Pedantic and rather clean. All that’s missing is a more pronounced originality and authenticity that would grab the listener by the balls and force them to scream with pleasure.

Rating: very good, just a little short of excellent…