Mullmuzzler


Keep it to Yourself

James LaBrie's latest solo effort, under the guise of Mullmuzzler, is powerful, syncopated, and dynamic. LaBrie's vocals definitely take on a different direction from his work with Dream Theater. The band (Matt Guillory on keyboards, Mike Mangini on drums, Mike Keneally on guitars, and Bryan Beller on bass) does a fine job of supporting LaBrie's vocal experimentation. The lead guitar is pretty interesting, and one of the cooler aspects of this release is the ambient keyboards ever present in the background, combined with the piano. The guitars and keyboards (particularly in tunes like Shores of Avalon) greatly complement LaBrie's screaming as well as his regular vocals. Even though Beezlebubba (one of the worst songs ever written) should've been left out, this is one of the cooler albums to be released this year!


Music ram-blings || Ram Samudrala || me@ram.org