Counterclockwise
is the third album from the Croatian eclectric rock trio Ivan Mihaljevic and
Side Effects. From the strong lyrics to
the way a single song can shift tempos and genres you can quickly tell that
this is a concept album in a progressive rock style. The top-notch musicianship and expert
production make this disc listenable from the first track to the last.
From the very start, the intro track “Too Much Is Not
Enough” starts your journey off gently and ramps up directly into “Build Your
Destiny.” The drums and bass come in
fast and crisp; they really drive the strength of this track. The expert mixing keeps the strength of the
rhythm section from becoming overwhelming, and without sounding overproduced
allowing the guitar and vocals to draw you right in. Then, just as suddenly as the track burst in,
is slows down to a bluesy, airy break that show off the clean vocals, and this
transitions into a 80’s hair-band style break that showcases Mihaljevic’s
guitar skills. Finally this transitions
back into the metal feel at the start of the song, and stays strong to the finish.
These transitions from metal to 80’s rock to acoustic run
throughout the album, and just when you think you know what’s coming, it throws
another unexpected shift at you. For
example, the track “Eclipse” is a 12 minute monster epic that starts off with a
gentle orchestral piece and ramps up into some blasting drums and bass, and
face-melting guitar work.
Ivan Mihaljevic and Side Effects make these tempo and genre
shifts seem effortless. You find
yourself drawn deeper and deeper into the album with each track, and there is
something here for any fan of rock, no matter what kind.
Instead of getting lost in the transitions, the expert
musicianship keeps you riveted, anxiously awaiting the next surprise that these
magicians have in store.
(Margareth M.)
CD BABY http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ivanmihaljevicsideeffect
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/imandse
FACEBOOK StreetTeam https://www.facebook.com/streetteamimandse
YOU TUBE http://www.youtube.com/ivanmihaljevic
SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/ivan-mihaljevic/sets/counterclockwise-1
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/streetteamimse
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/imandse
FACEBOOK StreetTeam https://www.facebook.com/streetteamimandse
YOU TUBE http://www.youtube.com/ivanmihaljevic
SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/ivan-mihaljevic/sets/counterclockwise-1
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/streetteamimse
