The Reckoning
Oklahoma’s Pillar sets a new standard and rattles the rafters like never before on their fourth full-length project for Flicker Records. Better songs, better riffs, bigger production, more attention to detail, better vocals and better overall dynamics make The Reckoning one of the best mainstream rock releases of 2006.
Right out of the gates things seem pretty consistent with previous Pillar projects. The album’s first single “Everything” boasts a fists-in-the-air riff and epic chorus that puts it right in line with previous Pillar hits like “Fireproof” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down.” It is immediately noticeable, though, that despite its arena-esque swagger “Everything” boasts a richer melody and overall improved musicality than any previous Pillar tracks. Vocalist Rob Beckley no longer sounds like a rap/screamer trying his best to sing and guitarist Noah Henson hits a whole new level of tonal range and dynamic punch. As “Everything” ends with Beckley’s best screaming yet, the range is tested as the textured and atmospheric intro to the equally massive sounding “Awake” churns from almost nothing into a full tidal wave. Lester Estelle’s genre-stretching drum parts and Kalel’s air-tight bass provide the perfect launching pad for the rest of the disc.
At times more ambient and haunting, and at others more musically intense than previous efforts, an overall level of consistency runs throughout. There is not a single throw-away track; no filler at all. From the super-heavy jams “Tragedy,” “Crossfire,” to the best low-tempo dark ballads the band has ever attempted (“Wherever The Wind Blows,” “Angel In Disguise,”) to actual Foo-like power-pop (“Sometimes”) and a cool instrumental number (“Elysian”) that channels Satriani’s surfing alien very effectively, The Reckoning is one of those rare modern rock albums that manages musical diversity, real emotional dynamics and overall consistency but still just plain rocks hard.
Amazingly, Pillar has put together a record in The Reckoning that is more accessible to listeners and resoundingly heavier and chunkier than anything they have ever attempted.
[Flicker] John J. Thompson
©2006 HM Magazine - All Rights Reserved
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