"This is not minimalism. This is not a less is more approach. This is as pure of an expression as I have been able to achieve of the sounds that have filled my head for a good number of years. I'm not interested in dumbing that down in order to play it safe. I'm sure it will be a bit much for some people. Too over the top. And to that I say, well, too bad."
What this is is a sound bursting at the seams with strings (all real... no synths here, folks), horns, multi-layered vocal harmonies, drums, percussion, and electric guitars all built upon either a piano or acoustic guitar foundation. What this is is Cole Gentles' Symphonic Rock Revival.
"I believe having a vision is very important in creating a strong, definable musical statement", Cole explains, "When I write a song, I usually have a clear view in my mind of what it sounds like. From the strings soaring in and out of the melodies, to the drum beats and fills, to the guitar solos, and everything in between."
Cole Gentles' Symphonic Rock Revival is the realization of this vision. A vision that fuses influences as diverse as Guns n' Roses , David Bowie , Beethoven , The Beatles , Queen , and a healthy dose of T-Rex into a sound of bombastic urgency. The songs are meant to be unabashedly epic. A wall of sound with 98 things going on at once, but each with its own place and purpose. Controlled chaos, so to speak.
The only way for Cole to ensure that the integrity of the songs wasn't compromised in the recording process was by arranging, producing, engineering, mixing, and playing many of the instruments himself. And while the strings, drums and piano were cut at Threshold Studio, all electric and acoustic guitars, bass, vocals and mixing were done in Cole's apartment. "I've benefited greatly from the recent affordability of home recording equipment. It allowed me the opportunity to learn how to engineer and mix my music through trial and error until I got it right."
"I've never been satisfied with a recording I've done in the past. When other people are engineering and producing, you hear 'no' a lot. They don't hear it in the same way you do, and so they try to make it fit into a mold of how things 'should' be done, or are 'supposed to' be done, or simply how they think it should sound. While that works for some people, those situations make me feel creatively shackled".
With the first half of this unique record complete, and the second half being worked on, Cole has begun work on bringing this musical monster to the stage with the same ambition and intensity that has fueled his writing and recording.
November 13, 2007, 7:30pm, will mark the live debut of Cole Gentles' Symphonic Rock Revival. Performing at the Mercury Lounge in NYC, the live band will consist of the SN4 string quartet (also present on the recordings), piano, guitar, bass, drums and backing singers. A 12 member band in all.