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15 seconds into ‘I Had A Name’ is all it takes to realise how crucial bassist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Eric Bass is to American multi-platinum rockers Shinedown. Once the gorgeous lilting melodies of the atmospheric opening track ‘A World Unseen’ fade away and Bass’s keyboard touches spring to life; his influence within Shinedown is there for all to see.
With Shinedown essentially having two frontmen—vocalist Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers—the work of “the other two”—Bass, along with drummer Barry Kerch—can often be overlooked. With his debut solo album, ‘I Had A Name’, Bass is stepping away from the darkness of stage-right and planting himself front and centre as the frontman. Given how open Bass has been about his mental health, putting himself in the firing line was a risky move that took courage; thankfully the risk has paid off as ‘I Had A Name’ is a triumph.
“I’ve spoken about my struggles with depression and neurodivergent issues before…when I finished writing this record, I looked back at these characters I’ve created and realized I’d written the most autobiographical record of my life, which wasn’t conscious as I was writing it.”
Written, recorded, and produced entirely by Bass, ‘I Had A Name’ is a concept album. Bass says: “I’m in a blessed position to be able to make this kind of ‘rock opera’ solo album…the album will eventually coincide with a graphic novel and a series of music videos that play like a short film.” Speaking to this reviewer in 2019, Bass mentioned a book that he was writing as well as the music to go alongside it; and ‘I Had A Name’ is the result.
After settling the listener in with ‘A World Unseen’, Bass shakes them out of their blissful state with the crunching, unsettling ‘The New Gods Of War’. Fast, pulsating, and packing one hell of a punch; it is a fantastic introduction to Eric Bass – the solo artist. ‘Azalia’ gets better with each listen and it pays to check it out through a decent pair of cans as there is so much going on in the background that it is dizzying. Ultimately, it’s about Bass’s vocals during the reflective mid-section of the song that offers up some hope in the noise of a dystopian world. Bass’s vocals continue to impress on the sharp, jagged edges of ‘Goodnight Goodnight’ which might just be the best song that Shinedown never produced. The triumphant guitars that land around 02:12 minutes in are gloriously regal in their execution and mixed with the layered background vocals add a touch of what could be considered to be a classic “rock opera” feel.
The closing stages of the album excel. ‘All Good Children – Our Guts’ ambles along at a slower pace than the majority of the album and is one of the highlights (especially the ragtime outro); thanks to the instrumental intro ‘Modenhardt’ is mysterious enough to pull in the audience and slaps them around for a few moments before the keys work from Bass slows it back down again on a track that surprises with twists and turns around every corner – heavy, shrieking guitars being just one surprise. ‘All Good Children – Our Guts’, and the towering, epic ‘The Churches Of The Dead’ are probably the pick of the bunch, but given the eclectic nature of the album, that changes regularly.
With Bass at the helm at every turn of the album; it’s a deeply personal offering. But also an accessible one thanks to the variety found within. The Shinedown-isms are subtle and will no doubt appeal to their massive fanbase; but with touches of Audioslave (mostly the crushing riffs and heavy drum hits from Bass) and even latter-day Bowie here and there, some quirky Primus-like grooves (on ‘We Can’t Go Home’ which totally slaps), a My Chem feel on ‘Mind Control’ and bursts of explosive music sitting alongside some periods of calm, ‘I Had A Name’ is hugely eclectic (‘New Graves’ will turn pigeonholers inside out) and a thought-provoking, bold and brave statement from an infuriatingly talented individual.
‘I Had A Name’ is available February 28th, pre-order information can be found HERE
Review – Dave
Promo pic by Sanjay Parikh
Live image – Rob Wilkins
Follow Eric Bass: Website
