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The last 12 months have been one hell of a rollercoaster ride for Morgan Rose. A serious medical condition resulted in sudden life or death surgery which thankfully saw the well-liked Sevendust drummer come out the other side stronger. With a low immune system from the operation, Rose understandably faced the early stages of the pandemic with a sense of trepidation. But he had music on his side and this seems to have had a cathartic effect on Rose. Best summed up by the man himself; “…Everybody has a story and their own struggles. I wanted to semi-document how I felt being in a bad place and getting to a good place.”
First up, Sevendust released their latest album ‘Blood & Stone’, an album that found the stalwarts of American rock continue their recent purple patch. And now, Rose has released his debut solo EP ‘Controlled Chaos’, where he handles vocals, piano, arrangements, and of course, drums. And who knew how strong a voice he has?! Sevendust bandmate Clint Lowery covers the guitar parts, with Jason Christopher (Corey Taylor, Prong) on bass. Morgan tracked six songs in less than ten days at The Lair in Culver City, CA, so there is a sense of urgency (as well as a sense of right-here-right-now) about the EP. Hence the perfect title: ‘Controlled Chaos’.
‘Controlled Chaos’ is a fantastic, thrilling surprise. Not just because of the fact that Rose’s voice is so strong and soulful, but also because of the great variety contained within the EP. Opening track and debut single ‘The Answer’ has a heavy, hypnotic drum beat throughout, meaty riffs from Clint ‘Fucking’ Lowery, and vocals from Rose which at times are fragile, as well as towering. A track that ebbs and flows gloriously, it’s a fine slice of music where hints of an Alice In Chains influence are just as prevalent as suggestions of a more modern American rock influence. There is a rather lovely keyboard outro that blends seamlessly into the six-minute epic ‘Faster Man’. A slow-burning track, with some fantastic atmospheric arrangements, it never feels the urge to floor-it, instead, Rose lets the track breathe and build naturally. The guitar tones that Lowery produces further highlight the fact that he is one of THE most underrated players out there. But it’s the vocals from Rose that take the gold medal.
The use of keyboard outros that mesh straight into the next track is a special touch. Something not really seen since the days of Pink Floyd, it’s a magical way of giving the EP the feel of one continuous piece of work. ‘Faster Man’ fades into ‘Clarity’, a gentler track which has Rose asking; “…what’s the meaning of it all?”. ‘Clarity’ fades into ‘Come Alive’ and Rose mixes it up on a track that could be described as Korn-meets-Queensryche. The effects through the spoken-word vocals give the track a sinister touch which sounds amazing at top volume through a decent pair of cans. Pretty damn freaky, but enjoyable. ‘Come Alive’ fades into the closing track of the EP; ‘Exhale’, and Roses mixes it up, again, with a dreamy, ethereal vocal performance which gives the listener the impression that they are floating away on a pillow of soft clouds. At times it could be a David Gilmour penned Pink Floyd track and is an incredible way to end an EP that continually surprises.
By the time that the EP ends, the impression that the listener gets is that Morgan Rose is in a much stronger place physically, mentally, and spiritually. A perfect example of the triumph of the human spirit.
Available now through Rise Records, here.
Review – Dave
