While music can change your mind, it can also paint pictures. It can take you on adventures with the stories songs tell and when one has the mastery of veteran musician Stan Snow, it can bring the listener moments of wonder. “Into The Great Beyond” keeps these moments coming over and over, making it a Hell of a first impression for the artists’ latest solo album. It all starts with “Guard.”
The soft acoustic guitar flows as smooth as butter straight from the top, making it easy to lose yourself in the track. The flow gets you ready for when the track picks up at about a minute in, with soft maracas giving it all a pulse that you can follow while new instruments come onto the scene and the guitar kicks into overdrive. The way the gentle hand of Stan Snow hits the guitar strings with a soft touch before breaking into a memorable riff is disarming and leaves a smile on your face throughout. This all comes as a backdrop with some surprisingly deep lyrics that hit hard when you catch them, with lines such as “Torn apart from the ghosts of the past” and “you’ve taken your limits and it won’t be the last” propping up the positive message of opening up to friends in the chorus. It makes “Guard” a memorable intro track that leaves an eager anticipation of what comes next.
“Chemical Fallacy” is a decidedly different track that wastes no time in laying down the funk. With attention-grabbing drum beats and a bass that grooves, it’s hard to not move your body to the jam session. The licks from the guitar add a memorable charm to the pulse of the track, with the guitar solo near the minute and a half mark nearly stealing the show. “Chemical Fallacy” also boasts some attention-grabbing lyrics such as “All that you see is blurring to me, I can’t let go of your lies” and “Fallen angels meet your guide, lost horizons deep in-side.” With strong lyrical quality and an uncompromising groove, this track springboards off of the previous one that makes it hard to not immediately hit the repeat button when it’s over.
“Fight” is another track that makes an impact. The ramblin’ acoustic guitar and the soft percussion that accompanies it is a great compliment to the vocal talents of Stan Snow. You can feel the power of his voice when he kicks the track into the next gear after starting the first chorus with a soft “I think I might fight myself again.” The track is another one whose aesthetic is its own and it rocks harder than any track that came before. The sweet guitar solos come one after another and are sandwiched between some memorable licks, backed up with some kickin’ drums that march behind it all. Of course, “Fight” is another track whose lyrics leave an impression when you catch them. They ooze passion with lines such as “All I ever needed was a shot in the dark, like a bullet in the heart of the day” and “You told me you loved me like a hurricane fire but I’m blinded by the light that I see” packing a ton of emotion. Along with a memorable chorus “Fight” proves itself to be another track you might listen to twice.
“Into The Great Beyond” has an attention-grabbing intro that’s hard to ignore. The low bass and drums create an alluring sound that grabs your attention with the light tambourine shakes that give the track a pulse. The beat is a bouncy one until the sax and guitar hit the track to give it a cinematic feeling. The feeling extends into the lyrics, which tell a dramatic tale in lines such as “Rolling out of a harbor at the edge of Antigua in the heart of the morning light” and “Like a phantom they’ll travel at dawn. No one knows where they’re headed until they move on” which comes together to give the track a mysterious feeling along with its cinematic charm.
Another track with a dynamic intro is “Change.” The track puts Stan Snow’s vocals front and center, who rises to the occasion like never before on the album. The piano hook that kicks the song off after a drumroll stick with it throughout and is the perfect compliment to Stan Snow when he sings “can you see a new day rising?” Other lines such as “Fire and ice are pulling you closer, dark and light are guiding you in” are matched perfectly with the instrumentals, with this line dancing with the guitar in a breathtaking way. The guitar solo at the 1:30 mark is equally as impressive and takes the track to the moon effortlessly, rocking harder in that moment than even the riffs from “Fight.” Other lines such as “Far and wide, colors are fading. Rain and sky are pouring in sound” are memorable and delivered with a powerful conviction that is amplified by the excellent atmosphere the track creates. “Change” is full of memorable musical surprises with the vocals of Stan Snow rising to the occasion like no other on the album, making it one of the best on the album.
Stan Snow’s “Into The Great Beyond” is an album that’s hard to put down. From start to finish, the artist wears his musical influences on his sleeve. Whether it’s the hard-rockin’ “Fight,” the somber sounds of “Gone Too Fast,” or the grooves that “Chemical Fallacy” lays down, the album has something for everyone. Each track also has strong lyrical content that tells great stories full of emotion and even cinematic excitement that will keep you coming back for more. “Into The Great Beyond” is a fantastic musical treat that’s packed full of memorable moments that will undoubtedly make it onto your playlist after just one listen.
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