Double Experience – Alignments

DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
Alignments
Drakkar Entertainment
April 24^th, 2020
37:07

The press release describes Double Experience as “Canada’s answer to nerd rock trailblazers Muse, Coheed and Cambria or Weezer”. And the duo plays modern prog rock (is also in the text mentioned). In the past five years, they have completed 750 shows, including as support for Danko Jones, but also as a headliner. “Alignments” is a concept album based on the classic role-playing game “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons”. The album was produced by Al Jacob and is released under the Drakkar flag. So let’s have a look.

Prog rock? Yes, somehow. But as the opener “Perish Song” shows, there is a lot of emphasis on melodies, on harmonies. Not your typical prog shredding but rather based on classic rock, with vocal harmonies and distinctive guitar solos. This continues with “New Me”. The band smashes classically oriented riffs around the listener’s ears. To my delight, nothing can be heard of abrupt changes in melody and rhythm. Here too there is a very good guitar solo that could have come from an 80s hard rock hit. And with “Ghost In The Machine” you can also hear a pop edge, but without any embarrassment that pop mass goods often have. And the two masterminds can also do ballads, as they impressively demonstrate on “My List”. The guitar sounds here are somewhat reminiscent of the sound of the southern United States. The term Progressive would most likely fit on “The Imp”, thanks to the somewhat hectic melody line and the one or the other break in the melody line. For this, Double Experience rocked again with “Alignments”, but also incorporated ballad-like parts. In the MP3 tag for “Love Is Not Just Talk” you can read “Hidden Bonus”. Ok, with my MP3 Download I did not seek. It is possible that the song on the CD is preceded by a longer pause. But as a bonus song, this ramming rocker is just too good. So, if you buy the CD, you should definitely listen to the end.

When I read phrases like “modern prog rock” or “nerd rock”, I had some concerns. But don’t worry, on “Alignments” the Canadians offer high quality but still catchy melodies. And they always get to the point very quickly with their songs. Only the title track is longer than four minutes, another proof that we are not dealing with “normal” progressive rock.

Tracklist

1. Perish Song
2. New Me
3. Something’s Got To Give
4. Ghost In The Machine
5. My List
6. Your Biggest Fan
7. Born For It
8. So Dumb
9. The Imp
10. Alignments
11. Love Is Not Just Talk

Lineup

Brock Tinsley – Guitar
Ian Nichols – Vocals, Bass

MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber