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History lesson time: The drop-d style of tuning in guitars and bass was a huge element in the grunge music revolution of the early 90's.  Groups such as Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam made millions while the band who pioneered the style was consigned to obscurity.

That band, of course, was King's X.  It is no coincidence that bassist Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) wears King's X shirts while performing, and that Alice in Chains was once their opening band.  The reason I mention any of this is that Life Moves On, the latest album by Feezel, is a throwback to that sound.  To their credit, they acknowledge that debt by thanking King's X in their liner notes.

The title track is a documentary of a woman who seemingly breezes through life, getting what she wants, and amassing wealth and success.  It poses again the age-old question "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?"  Imagine a metal group fronted by Gavin Rossdale of Bush or Thom Yorke--this approximates the sound here.

Feezel takes an unrelenting look at sin and its consequences.  "I Wonder", listed twice on the album (once as an acoustic remix), is a tale of someone who was abused as a child, but has risen above her past to live a good life.   The acoustic version is done in the style of Ty Tabor's solo material.  "Jack B Nimble" preaches against the sin of homosexuality:

"Your alternative lifestyle/will watch you die/gonna watch you die/some call it AIDS and HIV/God said sin is the disease/You don't have to be ashamed/There's forgiveness in Jesus' name."

Life Moves On  is very much a return to the early 90's.  "It's You," "Off Track," "Strong Tower," and "She Still Believes" all are done in the style of Alice in Chains, with the occasional Metallica or Extreme riff thrown in.  "Alone" could be a Soundgarden song, and "Reprobate" is a Collective Soul meets Rage Against the Machine rant against those who say one thing, and do another.

If you drink a lot of coffee, wear flannel shirts, and think the loud music of the 90's was the best, this CD should be in your collection.  It will remain in mine.

Brian A. Smith 10/28/2001