It is often hard to find bands playing original music today because a large number of modern groups are just poor imitations of well-known successes like Tantric and Blues Traveler. Therefore, it was a great relief to hear some fresh, new music from all four musical groups at last Saturday’s Battle of the Bands.
Unyen Bagel, the opening band, took the stage and presented a polished, well-balanced alternative sound that was simply amazing; their unique style flawlessly integrated three guitars, a drum set , and a keyboard. Unyen Bagel’s creativity was also quite impressive, especially their catchy tune about computer problems at RPI called “Data Corruption.” However, I most enjoyed their stirring cover of my favorite Radiohead song, “Karma Police,” which was a perfect match for the original song. Because their music was so good, it was unfortunate that Unyen Bagel did not grab first or even second place at the event.
Maelstrom, the band that did capture first, probably gained many votes with their intriguing—albeit somewhat strange and creepy—take on Black Sabbath’s popular song “Crazy Train.” Although Maelstrom’s dismal sound was strangely inviting, their lead singer’s voice was extremely forced and very unnatural. Maelstrom more than compensated for that, however, with the best dynamics I have heard in years, solid lyrics, and an impressive display of skill on the guitar. The band’s drummer did an excellent job of performing a solo piece, but the length of the drumming was very overdone—the other two singers were off the stage for a full five minutes.
The runner-up to Maelstrom, Under-Mind, played with a hard-edged, gripping alternative sound whose style was like a distinctive blend of Creed, Megadeath, and Metallica. Although Under-Mind’s dynamics were not remarkable, the resounding vocals from their music made it quite compelling, if not mesmerizing. I really enjoyed their song “All That You’re Not,” which was about feeling angry at life’s breaks. Many in the audience seemed upset that this group did not win.
This version of the Battle of the Bands did not include a band dressed in dorky animal costumes like those of Cannibal Cats—who were at last semester’s battle but thankfully, by the graces of the generous music gods, not at this one. It did have a band dressed up in weird throwback RPI shirts: Polski Fiat. Their fresh sound and pure vocals were incredibly invigorating. Polski Fiat did not perform a cover song like the other bands, choosing to play original songs about creating the universe yourself and following a focused desire to become a guitar player.
Overall, the music at this edition of Battle of the Bands was very enjoyable, and I look forward to the final battle of this school year on April 11. It will be very interesting to see who survives that struggle to claim the prize of Best Band in the universe—well, at least in our little RPI universe.
