Many thought that "grunge" had died with the suicide of Kurt Cobain back in April of '94. Drugs had dealt severe blows to both STP and Alice In Chains, and, sure, Soundgarden was still around, but on their last leg. Pearl Jam was still big, but their fights with Ticketmaster almost dwarfed the band's music as a major distraction. By 1997, no one would have ever expected a band like Creed to come around and wave this heavy low end grunge flag around anymore, much less go supra-platinum.
Now it's 2002, and wouldn't it be safe to say that any band that flies anywhere near this trend is playing entertainment roulette with their careers? Have enough years passed already for a nostalgic look back at 1991? It hardly seems plausible, but here comes Craving Theo, roaring like the rooster that Layne Staley sang about. If the opening song is any indication (and it is), then these guys are making no apologies about how modern their rock is. "Stomp" does just what its name implies with any loose cobwebs or disgruntled listeners nearby.
While Craving Theo certainly sounds like they're kinfolk to the boys in Creed, they also show familiarities to contemporaries like Godsmack, with an aggressive bent that reveals itself often. Sure, vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Calvin Baty gets soulful a bit here and there, and he actually sings more than screams, but the rhythm work he does with Bob Capka (guitar), Brian McMillen (bass), and Jason Dunn (no relation, on drums) rip out too many nose hairs to be confused as strictly a groove or laid-back band. Lyrically, Baty excels at telling a good relationship story, like Ed Roland, using metaphors and collectively shared emotions that connect with the listener. In "Sky," he urges the listener to "reach out, touch the sky," and ends with, "Listen closely what I tell you, a secret about a time long ago, life's made for one reason, now it's time to go." Perhaps this is a clue to the band's name, which seems to describe a worshiper at heart. Whatever the case with the lyrical or musical direction, I bet that this band is going to get big.
Editors' ratings - Doug 4/5, Jason 2/5
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