In NothernCalifornia, looking past the rolling hills, world famous landmarks, and innuendoes of peace lays a very dark side. And it rocks.
Built on distorted guitars and heavy drumming settled in the macabre, bursting out from below the City by the Bay, The Tunnel has put together a sophomore album that is sure satisfy the hunger for new rock. Combining Sam Black’s mood setting keyboards, Patrick Crawford’s raw passionate drumming, and Jeff Wagner’s unique vocals that can only be explained as Alice Cooper-like, laid brilliantly together on a pure, and honest rock 8 tracks. This is not your run-of-the-mill underground heavy rock that is quickly released. There is thought here that is apparent dynamic between the heavy grinds and melodic breakdowns. Standing on a sound that has grown out of the bars and alleys of a city moving around them at a breakneck pace, the genuinely working class sound forebodingly brought on by lyrics such as “You hear your footsteps walk down the middle of the street, it’s a strange stillness like the whole towns asleep” brings this album to life.
Fathoms Deep’s “Heavyweight Swamp Rock” moniker justifiably blends a dark, borderline sinister sound mixed with a rhythm that hints at southern rock. The Tunnel has tapped into a feeling from deep within the city that spawned the love movement and made it their own. I strongly encourage anyone willing to check them out.