Go
ahead, name a good band with a lead singer who also plays the keyboards.
And if you say “Flock of Seagulls”, than get the fuck out of here. It just
doesn’t happen in nature, rockin’ bands with keyboard singers. Singing
drummers, maybe- Exciter and the Mentors- but not the synth guy. Until
now. SSM (Szymanski, Shettler, Morris, just like ELP!) is a far-out
trio from Detroit led by the first S guy, John Szymanski, who plays
a crazy, wobbly organ and warbles about weird shit while the guitar dude (Marty
Morris) bashes out 60’s fuzzpunk riffs and S2, drummer Dave
Shettler, tries to keep the band on Earth. It’s space rock with a
beat, and it gets wilder as it rolls along. The first few tunes are sorta
stripped down and jumpy, but as the album progresses, SSM starts sounding
like early 70’s BOC fronted by a mad calliope player. By closer “The
Seer”, it’s just squiggly dialtones and acid-metal guitars, pure
cosmic freakery. And that’s fuckin’ alright with me. Turns out that
keyboards go way better with drugs. _______________________________________________________
Go
ahead, name a good band with a lead singer who also plays the keyboards.
And if you say “Flock of Seagulls”, than get the fuck out of here. It just
doesn’t happen in nature, rockin’ bands with keyboard singers. Singing
drummers, maybe- Exciter and the Mentors- but not the synth guy. Until
now. SSM (Szymanski, Shettler, Morris, just like ELP!) is a far-out
trio from Detroit led by the first S guy, John Szymanski, who plays
a crazy, wobbly organ and warbles about weird shit while the guitar dude (Marty
Morris) bashes out 60’s fuzzpunk riffs and S2, drummer Dave
Shettler, tries to keep the band on Earth. It’s space rock with a
beat, and it gets wilder as it rolls along. The first few tunes are sorta
stripped down and jumpy, but as the album progresses, SSM starts sounding
like early 70’s BOC fronted by a mad calliope player. By closer “The
Seer”, it’s just squiggly dialtones and acid-metal guitars, pure
cosmic freakery. And that’s fuckin’ alright with me. Turns out that
keyboards go way better with drugs.