Tripod is a wake-up call to stagnant progressive rock. By that I mean, this NY-based power trio (drums, bass, sax) provides a dynamic often violent brand of modern fusion based music.. Steve Romano (drums) is by far one of the greatest drummers of this and any genre, hands down. He combines rock and jazz parts equally. Keith Gurland works his alto & tenor saxophones into a frenzy, recalling some of the early horns of King Crimson in some ways. To make this union complete, vocalist Clint Bahr’s vocal delivery is refreshing, with all the Collins, Gabriel etc clones rampant. His vocals alternates between a quirky Les Claypool style to a more straightforward style which reveals a very pleasant midrange voice when needed. Plus he plays 12-string bass. which make for a deep, growling tone that easily makes up for the lack of a a distorted 6-string guitar power chords. He is an unsung Bass God!
These three guys are undoubtly a progressive rock band; there are moments of subtlety and serenity, but these are overshadowed, in a good way!. So if you want an aggressive power trio that is NOT rooted in the prog-metal genre then do yourself a big favor and pick up a copy today! You won’t regret it!
~Ron for ProgNaut.com [December 17th, 2003]
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