Eric Bass Presents
I Had a Name
In De Goot Entertainment
Shinedown bassist Eric Bass has written a bold, brave, intimate record which claws its way out of his soul, splitting open his head and the experiences in it, giving the listener an insight into his inner turmoil, personal thoughts and life experiences. ‘A World Unseen’ is achingly beautiful. Like a lullaby with its lush piano and hypnotic wave of sound layered underneath, its start is stunning and ending intriguing. Operatic of vocal, unrelenting of riff, intimate of lyric, ‘The New Gods of War’ will wake you from that sweet slumber. ’Azalia’ and ‘We Can’t Go Home’ and ‘Mind Control’ get their metal/rock on with a super catchy chorus each, which reminds you there’s a reason Eric Bass is a member of one of the world’s biggest bands. Dude can write a choon. But ‘I Had a Name’ goes beyond being an outstanding listen. It’s a unique musical experience which blends introspective with visionary, courage with curiosity. Sure, this is Shinedown’s Eric Bass. But this record is so good on so many levels that this fact becomes irrelevant. And that’s probably the first time Shinedown have ever been called irrelevant.
Review by Jo Wright