Review: Moeraes Fate -- Making of the New Me
Category: Music
Every so often a band comes along that goes beyond copying what everyone else is doing or copying what is popular. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Rush, and Tea Party come to mind. Like any band, they followed in the footsteps of those who came before, but they took the music somewhere new and they had something to say both musically and lyrically.
On New Years Eve 2009/2010 I happened to tune my TV in to the celebrations from Niagara Falls. The two headlining bands, Styx and Glass Tiger, were there, resting on their laurels, playing their old favourite pop tunes to pump up the crowd. But another band was there too. They had won a spot on the stage a few weeks prior. From the first note to the last beat I was blown away. Trouble is, I had no idea who they were! I had missed their introduction! As soon as their set was over I abandoned the party and ran to the computer to find out who these awesome young musicians were. They were new, and different, and they had something to say.
The band was Moeraes Fate--a fantastic progressive rock/hard rock/metal power trio from the Toronto area. They have such a unique sound and approach to their music. At this early stage in a career you would expect a young band to sound like the flavour of the month. But they don't, they sound like no one else.
Singer Katee Lee has a voice that is reminicent of Maria Del Mar from National Velvet, but also strongly suggests Tori Amos in her harder moments. However, she sings in her own style with power and conviction. On top of her vocal talents, she is a powerful bass player. Not content with thumping out the rhythm, Katee plays flourishes, fills, runs, and even melodic lines that one would only expect from a more experienced player. Lee is showing that she has the potential to become a bass goddess like that other famous Canadian power trio bass player named Lee.
There is a buzz building around drummer Kayla Faye. She is one of those drummers who brings the house down and steals the show from her bandmates. She thunders and roars through complex rhythms and patterns. She is obviously not content to be just a time keeper. Her drumming tells a story. She gives each song a unique feel. Most drummers these days just play the same few patterns from song to song. Not Faye. Her drumming is integral to the song.
As if two talented players is not enough for one band, Moeraes Fate has a secret weapon, Ali Stead. She is an incredibly adept and versatile player. In the power trio model, the guitarist has to be able to fill out the soundscape with compelling rhythms as well as screaming lead lines. Stead does this in spades. She effortlessly slips back and forth between rocking rhythm and burning leads. She also plays fantastic riffs that remind me of two of the most gifted rock guitarists of all time, Robert Fripp and Jimmy Page--talk about contrasts. Stead plays with passion and precision. She is one of those people that was born to play guitar. Her style, while nodding to the past, is both new and fresh.
Moeraes Fate have a great EP out that showcases some of their stage material and talents. The five song EP is called "Making of the New Me", after one of their stage favourites. The EP also contains a bonus track, a lovely acoustic cover of 80's hit "Man in the Mirror".
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