Review of Stalemate: Silhouettes & Syllables

About eight years ago, two friends of mine started a band, Jason Kaminski and Phil Martin. They found a drummer named Rob Schuster and Tooth Fuzz was born. For the better part of a decade, this trio from Elyria, Ohio has been playing shows all over the Midwest, opening for bands like the Starting Line and the Ataris and participating in the Vans Warped Tour with bands such as NOFX and the Transplants. In their early years they had influences ranging from the Foo Fighters to Sum 41. Now, they have outgrown pop-punk, outgrown the name Tooth Fuzz and become Stalemate. The same three guys have seen this whole thing through and have produced their best album, by far. I recently saw them perform many songs from the new album and was given a copy of the CD, Silhouettes and Syllables.

The first track, Dreams, starts with an extended intro of guitar chords seemingly played in reverse, fading to a clean instrumental opening to a song that quickly adds bass and drum to the mix. As the intro goes on, it builds to its climax which hears the guitar go to distortion for a crunching sound that leads to the first verse. This is where Kaminski really shines. His lyrical content is always full of meaningful material. This song is no different. We hear his vocals, talking about the dreams we all had at one time, with a very distinct bass line by Martin, amazing drum work by Schuster and subtle guitar plucking. The verses lead to a hard rock chorus in which Kaminski reaches for the limits of his vocal range and the angst and strain in his voice brings us to his revelation: “I don’t believe that everyone is wrong but they will never know what I’m really thinking so I can’t help to feel like I’m alone.

Ghost Town is next and it starts with a chilling open that leads directly to the first verse which is over only the guitar. The song talks about the hometown of the band and the despair and hopelessness that seems to envelope many of its citizens. A haunting acoustic guitar layered over the bass, drums and synthesizer are the focal points. Again, Kaminski breaks into a powerful chorus that is the complete opposite of the verses. A short acoustic break leads to a verse with the same extremes as the chorus. The song ends with an outro that has a faint sound of hope that things could get better sometime.

The outro from Ghost Town leads to Keep Moving On, a song about letting go of the past and being able to move past it. It starts light but you can tell it’s going to build into something much more and it does just that. Kaminski goes for his vocal peak in a strong chorus proclaiming “I won’t make the same mistake again, I’ll keep moving on.” A short bass solo by Martin leads to a perfectly placed keyboard and then Kaminski comes back with his guitar and sends our ears on a rollercoaster that reaches its highest point right before a keyboard trill fades in while the other instruments fade out.

Going Through the Motions is driving from beginning to end. This song really lets Schuster shine on the drums as he is let out of his cage. Each hit and kick is done with a purpose and it definitely has Schuster in the driver’s seat of the track. Kaminski’s vocals are an excellent mix of control and strain while Martin’s bass gives us a great background. The best part of the song takes place when Kaminski exclaims “Excuses all come easy!” and holds out the final note until letting the guitar end the track.

Next, Kaminski starts with calm vocals only on Planets. Shortly after the beginning the instruments come in and Kaminski hits his upper register and stays there for most of the song. Drums and bass are evident again with Schuster hitting backbeats and snare shots that penetrate the listener and only add to a great song. A short guitar solo ends the song on a very strong note.

Buckle up for the next track, What I Want to Believe. We hear Stalemate hauntingly remind us of the Kings of Grunge, Nirvana. Kaminski’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Kurt Cobain and the slight punk undertones of the song meld together well with the grunge sound that has been a staple of this trio since its inception. There is no let-up in this song. From the moment the song starts, you are on a ride that won’t end until the band says so. Martin’s bass plays a great role in this song and keeps your heart thumping in time with everything else going on.

Streamline starts with a complete distortion of vocals and guitar alike. Another driving track is ahead with Kaminski straining his voice, and sounding great doing it. A bass solo in the middle leads to a calmer Kaminski making us think this song has reached its denouement when in fact he’s just preparing to unleash his final chorus on our eardrums.

Next, Stalemate goes Soul Searching. A great guitar intro leads us to the first verse where the bass and drums really drive the track. After the second verse, the kick drum starts off the chorus with the bass and guitar almost as an afterthought. Kaminski hits those high end vocals again, telling us “I searched for what I needed but I can’t fight this feeling, I’m on my way, I’m leaving.” After his extreme vocal to finish, we fade to the next track.

Southern rock undertones start us on a Long Ride Home. Kaminski again starts off in a calm voice, almost conversing with the person on the other end of his musical conversation before kicking us in the gut and telling us “I don’t owe you anything except a long ride home.” The solo that comes after the second chorus is a building, driving piece of art that starts with the bass giving us a prelude to a rock-a-billy guitar followed by a great round of drumming by Schuster. Kaminski’s vocal closing is him almost a crying that really gives this song a climax.

The next track is an acoustic one; just Kaminski and his guitar. His voice is nearly soothing in this song with great plucking on his guitar. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when listening to this song. You’re waiting for a build that never comes, but in a good way. Kaminski really shows his vulnerability on this track that you would never think you would see coming from the other tracks. A lengthy outro gives the listener a feeling of calm with some mandolin mixed in for added serenity.

Our calm feeling doesn’t last for too long as Schuster takes to his tom-tom drums to start off the next track, Edge of Perception. The song builds, and builds with the bass and guitar coming in along with a synthesizer. Kaminski’s vocals build as well, leading us to a heavy chorus that tells us “Don’t let it go!” After the chorus we head back down hill only to build into the same driving chorus. Each chorus hears another layer of Kaminski vocals which sound phenomenal. A guitar solo leads us right back to a calm verse which builds right back up to the driving chorus.

The twelfth track is My Best Excuse, a song the band had recorded in the past but decided to update. Best. Idea. Ever. This version of the song is twice as good as the original. It starts off slow and clean and builds to a driving verse which features the vocals of Martin in the background and they are placed perfectly. Martin’s voice is a deep contrast to Kaminski’s which makes for a great sound. Once the chorus hits, you think the song is over but it’s just getting started. A slow build from nothing takes into a heavy guitar solo and a shouting refrain of “You don’t have me to blame!” with Kaminski and Martin shouting back and forth to each other.

The last track, Without You, is unlike anything that I’ve ever heard from this trio. A duet with Samantha Naelitz shows us the soft side of Stalemate…sort of. Kaminski starts with a verse and leads us to a harmonizing chorus with Naelitz that proclaims that “I’m doing fine without you in my life.” The first verse is a sharp contrast to this as it sounds as if he’s not doing all that well. Naelitz’ vocals on the second verse are absolutely beautiful. Her angelic voice carries us to the second chorus. A bridge with Naelitz and Kaminski going back and forth with a line each really gives us the Climax of the song, leading to a final chorus with Naelitz’ vocals drifting right over Kaminski’s to end a powerful, original album.

As a whole, this album is absolutely phenomenal, and each track evolves into something more than it seems at its starting point. The writing, both musically and lyrically, is light years away from it was when this band started its journey eight years ago. I highly recommend fans of all kinds of music to pick up this great, local masterpiece. Make sure you check out their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/stalemateohio. You will NOT be disappointed.