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REVIEWS: JAMES LaBRIE'S MULLMUZZLER Keep It To Yourself back to artists page Discography • Audio • Tour Dates • Links Released Aug 24, 1999 Mullmuzzler finds James LaBrie in fine voice on his "solo" debut, Keep It To Yourself. The track that immediately struck me was "Shores of Avalon" - Avalon being that mystical isle of healing of Arthurian Legend (those who know me and my love of things Arthur will not be surprised that this track leapt out at me; those who don't, do now). Here, too, though, are references to MacBeth...well, Lady MacBeth actually. All metaphor of course, LaBrie isn't singing a historical. But it's a metaphor that works. Co-written with members of Shadow Gallery - Brendt Allman and Carl Cadden-James - it manages to avoid any sense of the saccharine that I find creeps into Shadow Gallery's own work. The production here by Terry Brown (Rush) is stellar...each instrument shines, is crisp and clear without being stark or dry, and that includes LaBrie. And, Mullmuzzler is more than just LaBrie, though this is his baby. Dali Dilemma's Matt Guillory handles keyboards and piano; Mike Magnini (Extreme, Steve Vai) provides the drums; Mike Keneally (Beer For Dolphins) on guitars, and Brian Beller (Beer For Dolphins?) on bass. Aiding here, too, is Trent Gardner on keyboards, trombone, and programming on "Beelzebubba" and "As A Man Thinks"...and Gardner's musical and lyrical touch is quite apparent on "Beezlebubba," and yet it doesn't really sound like a James LaBrie fronting Magellan. Because Magellan are one of the few, if not the only, heavy progressive bands that includes trombone in their sound, hearing it and Gardner can't help make it sound a bit like Magellan. Included here too are trumpets and alto sax courtesy of Michael Stewart. This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen...the shortcomings I heard in Dream Theater's last studio (which I hate to keep taking digs at, but here it seems just) aren't here at all...even when LaBrie is in mellower voice, it shows the strength he has. Although "Avalon" is one that leapt out at me, there are many others that stand out...okay, I have to mention it because it is so very obvious and to not mention it would be an oversight. "Beezlebubba" is a dig not only at Clinton (here referred to as "Slick Willie," as he so often is...I must digress here a moment... [no...you've been mullmuzzled -ed.]) ... but a dig at ourselves. He isn't called Slick Willie for nothing...he seduced us all in some way...but, you know, I'll leave my political opinion out of this review... However, this track shouldn't be the focus of the album...there are other more lyrically worthy tracks here. By which I mean, there are songs about far deeper issues than Clinton and Clintonian foibles. In fact, the subject of "His Voice," which opens the disk, is about finding out too late that someone really needed your help. While I'm not suggesting this was the case with LaBrie, too often we're so self-involved that another person's needs are glossed over, until it's too late. One of two things happen, and we've seen this earlier this year with Littleton and just recently in Atlanta... In LaBrie's own words: "It's about a friend of mine that committed suicide 15 years ago [...] I wish I had known then how to approach people the way I do now because then maybe I could have easily picked up on the [warning] signs..."* "Guardian Angel" is the optimistic counterpart to Magellan's "Walk Fast, Look Worried"... though this was co-penned with Shadow Gallery's Gary Wehrkamp and Cadden-James. Where "Walk Fast" was edgy and cynical, "Guardian" is light ... open and airy...dare I say, angelic? The comparison is that this is (or can be) directed at a child. Or, in the case here, a spouse, too, though that really seems left to the next track called "Sacrifice." "Sacrifice" is LaBrie's "Faithfully" (Journey's Frontiers) is essence, and while it doesn't sonically resemble that song, it shares a similar spirit. "As A Man Thinks" will not only make you think of Magellan (co-penned with Gardner as it is), but also Queen...that dynamic between rock and classical, harking back to A Night at the Opera, and I also couldn't help but think a bit of Rush's Roll The Bones - specifically the techno-rap section. Not very effective there, works here, given the overall arrangement. Okay, there are hints of modern Yes here, too...the Rabin era. Oh, and then there's this percussive instrumental section...xylophones and drums is the sound, but I suspect, digital xylo and either digital or real drums... that made me think of Tangerine Dream, believe it or not. This closes out the album so gently, and yet you realize (as I did above) that the disk is over... About the moniker, LaBrie says that in thinking about the album, he needed a term to describe it and its contents. "So I put two words together, 'mull' which means to ponder thought, [and] 'muzzle', which means to gag. So 'mullmuzzler' means to gag or silence an individual's thought before it can be expressed in any manner."* I didn't talk too much about the rest of the band, really. I don't want to short change them at all, because they are all excellent musicians. There is a vitality here that was missing from...well, I said that already, didn't I. I hope that LaBrie comes away from this with a renewed energy for Dream Theater...but if not, long let Mullmuzzler exist. So, I heartily recommend and it's in the running for my best of 1999. – Progressive World –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Mullmuzzler, the solo project from Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie, has all the masterful musicianship that prog-metal fans would expect. The album, however, doesn't stress instrumental virtuosity its strength is its songs, which are more streamlined, engaging, and high-impact than most progressive rock. LaBrie worked with three co-writers and, correspondingly, there are three different kinds of songs on the album: compact, keyboard-led blasts that could be killer Dream Theater singles, like the crushing "Statued"; more spacious, epic, Shadow Gallery-like tracks like the classic, muscular hard rock of "Guardian Angel" and the beautiful prog-metal ballad "Sacrifice"; and quirky, punchy, hard-edged prog like the Peter Gabriel-ish, alternatingly funky and ambient "As A Man Thinks." By bringing these styles together and topping them all with his expressive, richly emotional vocals, LaBrie makes Keep It To Yourself a diverse and magnificent pleasure for fans of both prog and classic rock. Ignore the title; tell everybody: Mullmuzzler rocks. – Eric Aaron / The Big Room, for Spin Me –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For those who thought Dream Theater was too unwieldy to cut through on an emotional level, here's their lead vocalist (and Canadian boy) James LaBrie with what is a masterpiece of composition, playing and heartfelt drama. With the help of a number of daunting contributors from the NWOPM (New Wave Of Progressive Metal), LaBrie paces himself studiously through intense rockers, funky metal experiments, Zep-ish intrigue, and above all, gorgeous ballads (of which 'Sacrafice' is pure heaven and 'Slow Burn' lush, classic rock). All told, the vocals are sterling, deep and wide, but the beauty of the album is in the logical songs and sequencing, making this possibly the most enjoyable and purifying progressive metal album in a long while. – Chart Magazine –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dream Theater fans will enjoy this tasty pop/prog release from DT vocalist James LaBrie. The material suggests Dream Theater meets Led Zeppelin, and Mike Mangini's drumming is rock-solid without a lot of pyrotechnics. Mike does show flashes of his double bass superpowers on 'Statued', 'Beelzebubba' and 'Lace', but overall he keeps solid time and plays for the music. – Mike Haid for Modern Drummer –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Yet another Dream Theater member side project, Mullmuzzler is a vehicle for vocalist James LaBrie. Complimented by an exceptional supporting cast, (Mike Keneally - guitar, Matt Guillory - keys, Mike Mangini - drums, Bryan Beller - bass), LaBrie has created a diverse effort validating his reputation as one of the premiere vocalists in metal today. The album opens with two progressive gems 'His Voice' and 'Statued' which would fit suitably on any of the DT releases. Here is where the fun begins - 'Shores Of Avalon': eight minutes of Kashmir-era Zeppelin meets the Cult - a classic; 'Beelzebubba': Zappa-ish commentary on a certain president kmown as "Slick Willy"; 'Sacrafice' and the Beatle-esque 'Slow Burn': two powerful ballads showcasing LaBrie at his best, and prog-rock closer 'As A Man Thinks', which is similar to his Explorers Club contributions last year. Although backed by an all-star group, their subdued playing has given adequate room for LaBrie to showcase his talent in one of 99's most pleasant surprises not to mention the most accessible of the DT solo projects. – Allan Grusie for Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The boys in Dream Theater must be the most ambitious musicians in the world. Never has there been another band whose members were involved in so many side projects. The latest, Mullmuzzler, is vocalist James LaBrie's ultra-progressive collaboration with Matt Guillory (keys, piano), Mike Mangini (drums), Mike Keneally (guitars) and Bryan Beller (bass). The result is another prog masterpiece related to the DT camp. This band is almost single-handedly keeping the genre alive. Tracks like 'Shores Of Avalon', 'His Voice', and the highlight, 'Beelzebubba', which even features a swingin' horn section, redefine what progressive metal is all about. With this record, LaBrie, who also produced the CD, has proven himself to be as important an ambassador for prog as his multi-talented DT bandmates. – Kevin White for Harder Beat –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Magna Carta made the smart decision when they signed Mullmuzzler; putting it simply they're perfect for this label. For five musicians to write and perform symphonic music which marries heaviness to intricacy the way it does is no trivial accomplishment. This band is not precisely comparable to the others on Magna Carta's roster either. I heard quite a few diverse factors here I hardly expected to. 'His Voice' in example, seemed to hint at death and black metal as well as the standard flavor of progressive metal, accenting Yes influenced keyboards with dark guitars during its opening and interjecting a haunting refrain within the song structure. As the album progressed I picked up on inspiration from Elvis Costello and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rush, Fates Warning, and even ska music. All through this, on 'Shores Of Avalon', 'Guardian Angel', 'Sacrafice' and 'Slow Burn' the guitar heaviness remained roughly constant, periodically surfacing in between the other ideas presented by the band. – Dave Wolff for Good Times –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For this album, LaBrie has recruited an allstar cast of musicians and songwriters. On the songwriting side of things, we have members of Shadow Gallery, Matt Guillory of Dali's Dilemma, and Magellan's Trent Gardner. Performers include Guillory on keys, Mike Mangini (ex-Extreme) on drums, plus a whole host of other people. The general sound on Mullmuzzler is kind of prog-lite. Much of it sounds like basic hard rock, but there are definite progressive influences. LaBrie is correct when he asserts that this album sounds a lot different from the stuff he does in Dream Theater. My favorite tracks are the two epic numbers, "Shores of Avalon" and "As a Man Thinks." Most of the other songs are four minute mid-tempo rockers... definitely entertaining.... Progressive listeners will appreciate the intelligent songwriting, and hard rock fans will like the accessible and catchy songs. – Dynamite Metal –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Although bearing a band name, this album is actually the solo album of Dream Theater's lead singer James LaBrie. The disc is very potent modern prog, featuring the harder edge that much newer prog includes. LaBrie's voice is so much a part of the Dream Theater sound, though, that anything he is involved with really sounds like that band. This is certainly not a bad thing, though. The central players accompanying LaBrie on this release are Matt Guillory, Mike Mangini, Mike Keneally and Bryan Bellar. Several side musicians are also present, most notably, Trent and Wayne Gardner of Magellan. The disc available at record outlets everywhere, or directly from Magna Carta at 208 E. 51st Street, #1820, New York, NY, 10022. His Voice: Hard-edged prog begins this cut. It quickly takes on more metallic leanings combined with some intriguing tempo changes and melodic acrobatics as the intro progresses. When the vocals enter, the tone drops back a bit. The sound of the music combined with LaBrie's voice really makes one think Dream Theater, here. Some of the piano work on this composition is very dramatic, and really adds a lot to the cut. After a screaming guitar performance, the tune reaches its conclusion. Statued: A haunting and enchanting balladic melody based heavily on piano and voice starts this cut, but there are some definite hard edged sections. Much of the composition features rather intricate arrangements in a major progressive vein. Shores of Avalon: A wonderfully textured acoustic guitar segment makes up the intro to this cut. As that fades away, the composition takes on definite metal modes, occasionally touching on eastern influences and implementing complex time signatures and changes. The arrangement of the number seems to make it a mini epic (nearly 8 minutes in length), it feels like a steadily evolving number that tells an epic tale as the music keeps building and reinventing it's central theme. This is a considerably progressive piece, while still maintaining those metallic moments. Beelzebubba: A playful rock rhythm starts off this cut, which then moves into a musical break with a jazzy horn section and arrangement. The whole number has a very fun texture, alternating between Styxish hard prog and that fairly tongue in cheek horn arrangement. This is definitely a standout cut. Lyrically, it focuses on the seedier side of the American political machine, as these two snippets of lyrics illustrate. "An intern in a silhouette, Got DNA from the President" "Slick Willy, He's selling his jive." Guardian Angel: Dramatically sparse and restrained rock makes up the early moments of this one. As the cut moves on, it seems to resemble old school heavy metal a la Judas Priest quite a bit. The vocal arrangement on this one is quite good, and the number does include quite a few very different segments interlaced together, creating something more than the sum of the parts. There are moments where LaBrie's voice really resembles that of Priest's Halford. This seems to be a cut that deftly combines the elements of heavy metal with the musical complexity and inventiveness of progressive rock. Sacrifice: A pretty acoustic guitar driven ballad, this one seems a little like some of the more contemplative moments of Dream Theater. The song tells a touching tale of a man caring for his debilitated wife. He remembers the wonderful times they have shared, and loves her deeply. "I know you need me here, to see you through, I'm gonna make your eyes shine like brand new, I sacrifice all I have and more." Lace: Another song that at times sounds much like an updating of Styx' harder edged version of prog, this one features some nice progressive rock moments. Slow Burn: A pretty acoustic guitar based ballad with soaring vocals, the overall effect of this cut is very uplifting rock music. – Music Street Journal –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Maybe it was the fact that all his Dream Theater bandmates participated in side projects this year, but whatever the reason James LaBrie decided to do a solo project, I'm glad he took the time and effort. Even though he fronts one of the preeminent "progressive metal" bands in Dream Theater, Mullmuzzler isn't a prog metal album. Rather, it shows off a playful side to Labrie, taking time out to stretch his vocals chords on material he wouldn't get to sing in the confines of his main band. In that light, it succeeds, and fans get to hear Labrie cut loose for a generally cool 52 minutes. To aid in the execution of the Mullmuzzler project, LaBrie recruited a number of old friends, and top notch musicians. Mike Mangini, formerly of Extreme provides a dynamic percussion section and is aided in keeping the beat by Beer for Dolphins bassist Bryan Beller. BFD partner, and former Frank Zappa sidekick Mike Keneally lends a sometimes snarling, sometime tenderly melodic guitar to the proceedings. Matt Guillory from Dali's Dilemma pulls double duty, handling keyboard duties through the majority of disc, and earning co-writing credits for three of the songs. Keep It To Yourself starts out with two of the songs co-written by Guillory, "His Voice" and "Statued." One of my doubts about this album, present from the day I learned of the project's nature, came to life right from the start. LaBrie's solo project doesn't so much sound like any representation of his own musical vision, as a disc full of the guy singing other people's material. Fortunately, in his choice of musicians and songwriters, Labrie gave himself some decent stuff to sing over. The aggressive, percussive drive of "His Voice" could almost pass as a cut from Manifesto For Futurism (Dali's Dilemma's debut album, and a leading candidate for my favorite album of 1999), until Labrie's unmistakable voice enters the fray. As co-writer, Guillory sets himself up for a few of his blistering keyboard solos, as Mangini's tinder-dry cymbal work highlights Labrie's reminiscence about a friend who committed suicide. Most of Shadow Gallery also gets into the act, helping out on four songs. Once again, the tunes sound basically like Shadow Gallery tracks, with LaBrie taking over on vocals. "Shores of Avalon" features a few seconds of that shimmering guitar/keys pre-chorus walls of noise sometimes utilized by Gary Wehrkamp and Brendt Allman. Both "Sacrifice" and "Slow Burn" dance along on the verge of cheesiness, while "Guardian Angel" crosses that line, proudly declaring its "Child of the 80s" heritage. It's also my second favorite track on the album... – AMZ Music Zine –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– James LaBrie's latest solo effort, under the guise of Mullmuzzler, is powerful, syncopated, and dynamic. LaBrie's vocals definitely take on a different direction from his work with Dream Theater. The band (Matt Guillory on keyboards, Mike Mangini on drums, Mike Keneally on guitars, and Bryan Beller on bass) does a fine job of supporting LaBrie's vocal experimentation. The lead guitar is pretty interesting, and one of the cooler aspects of this release is the ambient keyboards ever present in the background, combined with the piano. The guitars and keyboards (particularly in tunes like Shores of Avalon) greatly complement LaBrie's screaming as well as his regular vocals. ... this is one of the cooler albums to be released this year! – Twisted Helices –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– On Keep It To Yourself lead vocalist James LaBrie (from prog-metal band Dream Theater) fronts a band featuring Dali's Dilemma keyboardist Matt Guillory along with West Coast super guitarist and respected solo artist Mike Keneally. Rounded out by a potent if not explosive rhythm section consisting of bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Mike Mangini, Mullmuzzler portrays progressive rock in a vein which at times, seems to draw a little inspiration from hard rock super groups of the 70's and 80's. The opener, "His Voice" commences with extremely loud (we're talking Purple and Sabbath here) crunch chords backed by the seemingly defiant yet pulsating rhythm section. Here, LaBrie projects his exemplary vocal gifts rather well while displaying better than average range atop rapid motion and some fairly complex time signatures. Many of these pieces feature melodic choruses, clever orchestrations and fine synth work from Guillory who reaps the benefits of numerous solo opportunities. On that note, it would have been nice to hear Keneally get some more solo space as keyboard whiz Matt Guillory often gets the nod, frequently utilizing guitar-midi patches. Nice, but why not go for the real thing? Especially while performing side by side with this mega-talented guitarist. Keneally's incredible "Beer For Dolphins" band and his recent collaboration with experimental guitarist Henry Kaiser bare his dazzling technique and consummate artistry above and beyond his work with the late Frank Zappa. "The Shores Of Avalon" is a forthright and appealing tune along with strong and fairly obvious references to Led Zeppelin as "Beelzebubba" deals with subject matter related to President Clinton's improprieties and ...."should we say lies?" Yet at this juncture chants of ..."Slick Willy/He's selling his jive/Slick Willy/he's taking a dive" already seem dated as the prose leaves little to the imagination, although keyboardist Trent Gardner should be commended for his trombone and programming along with nice work by guest trumpeter Michael Stewart. Here, the bright horns, rhythms and overall arrangement transcend the somewhat predictable lyrics. The composition titled, "Sacrifice" is a flat out gorgeous acoustic/electric ballad featuring LaBrie's crisp, well-stated lyrics and supremely passionate vocalizing combined with a memorable melody and superb ensemble work. This piece seems miles ahead of some of the sludge being played on today's rock radio. Hopefully and at the very least, "Sacrifice" will enjoy some widespread airplay. The final composition titled, "As A Man Thinks" commences with one of those familiar rebel rousing motifs made famous by the late Freddie Mercury and Queen yet progresses nicely into something more substantial. Despite a few minor beefs this recording ages well! LaBrie is perhaps one of the handful of exciting vocalists out there - and along with some highly capable musicians, Keep It To Yourself is a commendable effort and proves once again that some rock vocalists can actually sing. LaBrie proves that notion in elevated if not obvious fashion! – All About Jazz –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1999 seems to have been a hectic year for Dream Theater, all involved in site projects. Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci are featured on the new Liquid Tension Experiment. The departing Derek Sherinian has released a solo album, and singer James LaBrie released his solo project Mullmuzzler on Magna Carta. If you add the work on the new Dream Theater release, it must have been a chaotic and roaming time for Dream Theater. Mullmuzzler is LaBrie's first solo album, produced and written by him in collaboration and co-writing with Trent Gardner (Magellan), Matt Guillory (Dali's Dilemma), Carl Cadden-James (Shadow Gallery), David Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery), Brendt Allman (Shadow Gallery) and Gary Slayer an impressing line-up of writers, who successfully compiled nine great tracks. Stylistically rock, but with progressive influences, quite easy digestible, but very artistic and creative. The musicians are outstanding, keyboardist Matt Guillory, praised guitarist Mike Keneally, bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Mike Mangini. James LaBrie's vocal performance is phenomenal, better then ever, continually impressing and improving. Mullmuzzler has great musical quality and with out doubt a admirable release. – Through Different Eyes –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Click here to order Keep It To Yourself, and the 2001 release, Mullmuzzler 2. |
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JAMES LaBRIE'S MULLMUZZLER Keep It To Yourself Catalog # : MA-9039-2 |
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