I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I first inserted the Jack’s Family’s CD into the player. The professionally produced cover, booklet and digital artwork gave no hint as to the band’s style. The attention to detail in the presentation of a completely self released work should perhaps have served as hint as to what lay within.
‘One Big Disguise’ features six tracks of expertly crafted progressive metal with superb attention to detail. Jean-Paul de Havilland’s robust and articulate guitar gives the band its punch backed up by the solid bass lines of Rich Potter and Nicholas Spall’s thunderous and highly skilful drumming. Darren Tinsley’s keyboards heighten atmosphere and Kelly Jones fulfils the joint office of vocalist and violin player. The inclusion of the violin is inspired and adds lyrical warmth to the complex melodies as witnessed straight away in disc opener ‘Falling’.
Musically they have a sound very much their own but to risk a comparison would probably place them somewhere between Threshold and Shadow Gallery. Complex is a good word to describe the art of Jack’s Family. The arrangements are intricate and the self analyzing angst of the lyrical content is also multi layered, from the violent anger expressed in ‘Cruelty on a Pedestal’ to the bitter irony in ‘Pretty’. Their complexity isn’t cluttered or messy though with every instrument given room to breath, this is quite a feat and is a good indicator of what an accomplished group of musicians this is. There is only one small issue which might be addressed and that is in the vocal department. Kelly has an expressive, emotional voice when singing quietly or with a clean tone but when she gets more “metal” and turns on the aggression she sounds rather forced and unnatural. It’s a relatively minor issue and it should be pointed out that some of those vocal lines would challenge the likes of Geoff Tate, but given such a meticulous approach it registered as a “blip” on the critical radar. One Big Disguise’ is their third release with an album and an EP already under their belt (‘Poetry of Souls’ in 2002 and ‘Man in the White Coat’ in 2004). In addition to the six tracks and a beautiful piano “voluntary” at the very end from Darren, there are “hidden” extras in the form of a twenty minute video documentary of the band’s recording expedition to Newcastle and a video for ‘Pretty’. There is value for money here! It is slightly strange that they haven’t been picked up by a label yet but you can get hold of their CDs on their website.
If intelligent progressive metal is your thing then divert a small portion of your beer budget to this fine bunch of musicians from Colchester.
http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/
