The Tea Party
It seems that every young man must, at some point, show some interest in metal. Yet while other people listened to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Metallica or Guns N Roses, I however sided with......the Tea Party. So what about them was so appealing over many other metal bands? For a start, it was Jeff Martin’s dangerous, but gorgeous, purring voice. It was their willingness to experiment with world music and exotic instruments. Oh and the songs rocked hard. I feel that a lot of metal bands sound similar so to experiment, try new things and still knock a winner of a song is a feat in itself.
The Tea Party were vital listening during my Goth phase (more on that later) but the most important aspect of all was that they were the first band I saw live. For a band who really delivered live, I can say with satisfaction that of all the bands I lost my live virginity to, I’m glad it was that one. It also set a benchmark that few bands I have seen since have been able to match.
Key Album: Edges of Twilight (1995) I recall hearing Fire in the Head and being hit with the impression that this sounded like the world was ending: It was nasty, brutal, and had the audacity to have a bridge that seemed to offer a sense of relief (but not for long!). It sounded like it came from Hell and it certainly packed a punch. And what do you know, the rest of the album followed suit. I love the use of the exotic instrumentation and as such, the Tea Party taught me on how using instruments from different regions can produce fascinating sounds and how they can used to great effect.
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