Alpha Decay by Covalence

It was a sad moment back in the early 90s when I discovered that grunge had replaced good hard rock music. All of a sudden, my partiality towards bands like Winger, Slaughter, and Poison were considered old-fashioned, a thing of the past.

Apparently, at least one good thing has come out of this shift in musical trends. And it's right here in Knoxville, TN. Covalence is a four-man alternative-grunge band. With Carter Manson on guitar and lead vocals, Tad Long on guitar, Richard Hodges on drums, and Gabe Carrasco on bass, they outdid themselves in the hard work they did for their debut CD, Alpha Decay.

Photo Credit Bird's Eye Photography

In just six songs, it is replete with talent, as well as all of the essential elements of rock, grunge, alternative, with a smidgeon of punk for good measure. Carter's strong voice has a no-nonsense intonation and a vibe that speaks of pain, power, rebellion, and effortless control. These attributes are consistent and crystal-clear through the whole CD.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his guitar riffs, which is the biggest and best asset Carter brings to Covalence. Every one of the instrumental breaks in these songs has a different facet to his unmatched talent. You can hear that from the getgo in "Burn," the first song on the CD. They range from simple chords, as heard in "Close My Eyes," to the goosebump-inducing ones in "Into the Light". Check out the one at the fading of "March On," as well as the one in the intro to "Bring This Down."

What you'll hear in all of these songs is intricate musical patterns throughout. From the marching band drum patterns Richard graces us with at the beginning of "March On" to his use of a splash cymbal at times in "Close My Eyes" and "Burn".

The part where they're at their best as a band is in the instrumental break in "Into the Light": perfect timing with the guitar riffs and the drum beats, followed by that pause after the tension builds.

I love how they added on a bonus track, "Out of Place." Consider it a taste of the softer, deeper part of Covalence that couldn't be easily expressed otherwise.

Though I've listened to this several times at this point, as I'm writing this, I have the lights off. It's this time I am really into the music, feeling it penetrate to my soul. Therefore, I recommend you listen to Alpha Decay the same way you do The Dark Side of the Moon.

There's a whole lot more I could say about Alpha Decay. My advice to you is, keep listening to it. If you do, you'll find something different each time.

This is pretty darn good for four young men under 21 or still in high school!

Covalence at the Open Chord

There is a force to reckoned with here in Knoxville, TN.

It comprises four young men who don't settle for third-rate in what they do. These guys are in a rock band and their name is...

Covalence.

These young men in Covalence (Carter Manson, lead vocals and guitar; Tad Long, guitar; Richard Hodges, drums; and Gabe Carrasco, bass), play as if they've been at this longer than they've been alive. Last night, they had a show for their debut CD Alpha Decay.

What is seeing Covalence like? I'm here to give you an idea of what to expect.

They didn't just appear on the stage. Instead, they started off their show theatrical rock style: emerging onto the stage as a video appeared on the overhead screens and immediately played the songs that they...yes, they...had written.

And it wasn't just with the four of them playing their respective instruments. The band had a fog machine, with awesome lights from the Open Chord crew to enhance it. With that and the energetic talent eliciting from all of them, the packed house at Open Chord got a really big treat from the band.

But the smaller and more meaningful "treats" were the covers they played after playing the songs from Alpha Decay. What made it meaningful was some fans had requested they play hits by the Foo Fighters and Nirvana.

In the few years Covalence has been together, there have been a few personnel changes. Between songs, Carter talked about how they had recently gotten Gabe on board. Richard spoke about how he had joined a few months prior. Then, the surprise Carter had promised the audience: Harrison, their former lead singer, came up on stage toward the end of the show and sang "When God Comes Back," which is one of the favorites from fans.

How do you know this band has made a significant impact on their followers? When they shout for an encore...and the band gives it. Song of choice: "Evenflow" by Pearl Jam.

Jackyl at The Shed

I'm proud to be a resident of Knoxville (by marriage). It's a great lively town inhabited by people who go out of their way to give visitors a warm welcome and outdo themselves in providing hospitality.

What I'm also proud to be is a supporter of the local music scene. Over the past few years, I've seen touring bands of various levels of popularity and style make Knoxville, TN, one of their places to play on their tour. And they have come more than once. Each time they come, they tell the audiences how much they love coming to Knoxville.

Having said that, I know Greenville, South Carolina's, Silver Tongue Devils felt so welcome to Maryville. As for me, I welcomed their music. And not just their music, but their congenial stage presence and non-stop rock to kick off the show. It goes without saying that every musician is influenced by at least one rock legend, studying their mannerisms meticulously. Such was the case of lead singer DJ, who sang, dressed, and acted as if he were the Robert Plant of the 2010s. In addition to that were the rhythm guitarist doing part of the "Eruption" guitar solo and the drummer having an energetic passion similar to that of both Tommy Lee and Jimmy D'Anda.

Silver Tongue Devils

In the weeks leading up to last night's show at The Shed, I learned Jackyl was there last year. They had instant popularity in the early 90s with their chainsaw solo in the instrumental break of "The Lumberjack" from their debut self-titled album. Also, lead singer Jesse James Dupree's loud and raw Southern attitude-filled vocals and consistent, strong music are also timeless attributes of Jackyl's music. Therefore, it's no wonder we Knoxvillians were glad to have them back. To my knowledge, this was one of their stops for the 25th anniversary of Jackyl.

I'm not sure if it was intentional for the sound crew to play "For Those About to Rock, We Salute You," by AC/DC, followed by "Rhinestone Cowboy," just before Jackyl made their grand appearance on the stage. Whether it was or not, to me, it provided a good soundtrack for what was ahead.

And what was ahead? In a nutshell, it was undying consistency and energy in their music. Over the past few years, I've been to shows that were part of a tour celebrating a milestone in the careers of bands from the 80s and 90s. I've seen the differences in their performing capabilities and styles of music now as opposed to then. The way Jackyl played blew me away! First off, Jesse James's voice is still strong, as is the music. To be more clear, seeing them live was as if the music I had heard from their debut album (on a cassette) hadn't died or changed. Their live performance did a stellar job in magnifying what I had heard on a studio album.

Jackyl

Though Jackyl has had hits since their debut album, and the large crowd they were graced with cheered and shouted out the responsory-style lyrics, the atmosphere in the audience seemed to have gone to a higher level when they played the songs from that album. Such hits include "Down on Me," "Dirty Little Mind" ("d-i-r-t-e-e-e"), and "I Stand Alone."

Jackyl

Jackyl

Jackyl

Best feature of all (and you probably see this coming)...the chainsaw. Jesse cut up a wooden stool. One lucky fan walked away with a sawed seat from it.

Jesse James Dupree with a chainsaw

Jesse James with a chainsaw

Jesse James with a chainsaw

I walked away impressed and with a desire to see them again.