Call it
progressive, call it experimental, call it thinking man's music - Long Distance
Calling's take on the genre, sets itself apart from the rest by being
instrumental, with the exception of "Middleville", where John Bush (Armored
Saint, ex-Anthrax) is handling the vocal duties.
The songs
are diverse, experimental, well constructed - individually - but as the album
progresses I do miss the vocals, which would give each song its own signature
and set them even more apart. Even though the song writing is very song
orientated the lack of a singer makes it harder to pick the songs apart, and
after listening to it over and over, the only song standing out is
"Middleville".
"Long
Distance Calling" is a well written collection of instrumental rock songs that I
feel works better one by one, rather than as a whole. Long Distance Calling
demands a lot of the listener, and I think the songs, individually, offers many
interesting moments, but it is just not an album you put on and listens to from
start to finish... Personally I'd prefer that they would incorporate more vocal
parts in their songs because the material is strong enough to support such an
adventure.
