Advancements in heavy metal

Music | January 23rd, 2014

Local guitarist raising money for progressive metal project

Jake Gillette is set to record what may be one of the greatest projects of his music career: an original progressive metal album made up of years’ worth of melodic ideas yet to be truly documented. The project is called “AfterThought.”

Gillette, a local veteran guitarist (also one of HPR’s “Guitar Heroes”), and his longtime band mate/keyboard player Zach Frisk, say now that technology has advanced, their dream of recording a progressive metal album is much more achievable.

“The advancements in digital recording gives you the ability to sit at home and do this instead of renting a studio,” Frisk said.

So far the guys have laid down ideas and scratch tracks. Now it’s just a matter of organizing the ideas and recording new layers of instrumentation and vocals.

Though in order to make the project as exceptional as possible, they hope to seek professional assistance in mastering and production and to also purchase quality equipment.

Gillette started an Indiegogo campaign where anyone can donate to help make the project possible and then be rewarded for contributing. Shirts, music downloads, CDs and even a voiceover on the album are up for grabs for contributors, who have until Feb. 13, 1:59 p.m. to donate. Learn more here: tiny.cc/ji2z9w

While Gillette and Frisk have played in metal/rock/’80s/top 40 cover bands for many, many years, they feel more passion for progressive metal than any other style of music.

Gillette says the genre has a limited following in Fargo-Moorhead. However, he believes there is something that can be done about that.

“If you can come out of Fargo as being someone that can produce an album of the caliber that we think we can produce, I think it’ll help grow that genre within the United States, because it really is such a small community,” he said.

“These bands that come from Europe, they play small venues such as The Aquarium, but when they are in Europe, they play to 60,000-70,000 people. So it’s such a difference to be able to grow that within the United States, just to get the word out.

So what is progressive metal? It’s essentially metal — so heavy, distorted guitar playing and loud, fast drumming — but thicker, more complex and more “epic.”

“You take all the aspects of metal and you take all the aspects of symphonic music and orchestral music and all that stuff and just kind of combine it with the heaviness of metal,” Gillette said.

Some of the bands that have influenced Gillette include Edguy, HammerFall and Dream Theater.

“When I met Jake, that’s when my ability as a keyboard/piano player really kind of changed, kind of helped me progress as a musician,” Frisk said.

Perhaps one of the reasons we don’t hear a lot of progressive metal around here is because it requires a lot of work for a band to perform it live.

“You have to be dedicated to your instrument craft,” said Gillette. “There are so many melodies and countermelodies, odd time signature sections, harmonized instruments such as keyboard and guitars — things like that require a lot of rehearsal.”

For now, the guys plan to make “AfterThought” just a recording project, but perhaps it may inspire live performances and further records in the future.

INDIEGOGO LINK:

tiny.cc/ji2z9w

Local guitarist raising money for progressive metal project

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