Egypt Central White Rabbit Review: A More Mature Egypt Central

Are you ready for the rabbit hole? Egypt Central recently released their sophomore album “White Rabbit,” and it’s a rowdy ride across the gamut of emotion.

Whether Egypt Central plays post-grunge, alt-metal, or hard rock is a matter of semantics or music nerd debate. Bottom line: play it loud.

As the album and title track suggest, as well as its obvious relationship to the psychologically questionable condition of Lewis Carroll’s prodigious story, this record is an unflinching look at what it means to “follow like Alice / And just keep diving down the hole.”

After numerous delays to release the follow up to their self-titled debut album off of Lava Records Egypt Central managed to sign with the infant label Fat Lady Music. A move that often cripples a bands progress, the four part rock band

Egypt Central was dropped from Lava Records after numerous delays to their self-titled debut album. They ultimately signed to an infant label, Fat Lady Music, a move that is commonly known to cripple the exposure and development of a band. Egypt Central however, is not a premature band.

John Falls on vocals, Jeff James on lead guitar, Joey Chicago on bass and Blake Allison on drums formed back in 2002. Despite setbacks to studio releases the classically constructed four-part rock band have honed their skills and sound in nearly a decade of work together. “White Rabbit” is a well constructed concept album, which showcases the thoughtful edifice of track architecture.

The first four tracks instantly draw the listener into the work.

The instant burst of energy shown in “Ghost Town” stunningly initiate the album. Ambient inner womb sounds transition to a static that immediately ruptures into James’ slow and distorted guitar. The first part of James’ riff is reminiscent of metal guitar’s deity, Randy Rhodes – dirty and dark – that later culminates in a lightly muted arpeggiated that shouts out to Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell. “Ghost Town’s” ominous chorus sets the stage for the record with, “When the sky comes down / over this ghost town / you’ll be first against the wall.”

“White Rabbit,” the title track and single off the album, follows next and draw a reflection of metalcore band Avenged Sevenfold. Once known for the screaming vocals of front man M. Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold released the highly anticipated and successful “City of Evil” after he underwent a vocal surgery. Shadows then demonstrated his range with a much more melodic flair backed by the cacophonous power. Falls seems to have all the strengths found in “City of Evil” with none of the irritating whiney habits Shadows showed. “Your magic white rabbit / your white room / straight jacket” prelude the chorus and exemplify the insanity undergone in this song. Falls utilization of screaming vocals and spoken word in addition to his range and versatility make this the most multidimensional song on the album.

“Goodnight” is the story whose main character laments the loss, due to death or separation, of someone who was clearly much beloved. Part of a larger melancholy atmospheric dimension, “Goodnight” is the first installment of emotionally charged songs interspersed throughout the album, continued by “Change,” “Enemy Inside (Part 2),” “Dying to Leave” and “Backfire.”

“Kick Ass” follows “Goodnight” and provides the pattern for the rest of “White Rabbit.” “Kick Ass” is another intensely energetic track. From here on out the album teeter-totters between emotion and power as referenced with the placement of these two tracks. The manic nature of this duality speaks to much of the content throughout, most notably the repeated motif of drug addiction.

“The Drug (Part 1)” balances cryptic depiction and explicit reference to death and addiction. In just 3:15, Falls masterfully narrates perhaps his own biographical trials or that of another. “I’ll never get out so I put the gun down / It’s a slow suicide that I choose / So I give in again I sit down and breath in / I don’t care about what I will lose.”

The last track, “Backfire,” is acoustically led and a glaringly personal account of the fear of forking roads. The lyrics are structured in a similar method found in folk and country songs. From Memphis, Tennessee, it seems the band drew from their musical roots to produce this beautiful, only mildly accompanied track. The studio produced kick drum, often heavily reverberated to simulate depth and soul, doesn’t even make a noticeable appearance until half way through the song. James’ distorted electric guitar is hardly apparent save for the last chorus performance.

With lyrical content ranging from death and drug addiction to good old fashion depression and chaos, Egypt Central present a force indicative of maturity and well groomed musicianship.