Aquabear Legion releases ‘Volume 3’
By Terry O'Donovan, Assistant Entertainment Editor
October 12, 2008 | 6 a.m.
Aquabear Legion, a collective of regional, independent musicians and artists based in Appalachian Ohio, has done it again with the release of “Aquabear Legion Volume 3.” “It,” of course, refers to the creation of an album perfect for those lovers of regional bands with musical ADD.
Those who enjoy continuity from track to track on their albums may find this release not to their liking, however. The collection does not stay in one place for long. It is, indeed, a collection in every sense of the word. There are 19 tracks in the release, and no band does more than one track. The tracks span the genres, as well. Rollicking indie follows riff-based hard rock follows punk. The end result is that listening to the collection feels quite like listening to iTunes (local version) on shuffle. This can be jarring for the listener, especially when the metal song “Cloud of Locust” by 1Point3 transitions into the meandering abstractionist experiment “Untitled” by (The) Giants of Gender. It also precludes analyzing the album on any overarching artistic elements.
Obviously, however, this album intends not to act as a unified element of artistic expression. Instead, it is a promotional tool intended to spread the word, so to speak. “Here are some regional bands,” Aquabear may as well be saying. “Listen to them. You will like them if you don’t already.” And like them you probably will.
There are very few, if any, flat tracks on the collection. Southeast Engine makes an appearance with “One Caught Fire,” an enjoyable enough song from the perennial hometown favorites. Kaslo is here with “Poopface” and its instantly recognizable opening.
The only true low point on the album is the aforementioned “Untitled.” The track wanders around without accomplishing much and, in the end, merely functions as a momentum killer after the hopped-up “Cloud of Locust.”
Given the album’s nature as a product of regional musicians, a certain rawness can be expected in the sound quality. This is not necessarily a bad thing – read “raw,” not “poor.” The recording quality lends an immediacy to the tracks. They sound “near,” for lack of a better word, which is appropriate for an album of local and close-by musicians.
In the end, this release must be taken for what it is: a showcase of local independent music. A local playlist, as it were, of high quality songs in a lo-fi recording format. This reviewer, at the very least, is hoping for a forthcoming Volume 4.
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