The best word I can think of to describe Untitled, the debut project from South African rock band The Benjamin Gate, is a rather nondescript word- "cool". Yes, Untitled is very, very cool. With heavy bass and a plethora of guitar effects, the music on Untitled is melodic, and yet also very noisy. The Benjamin Gate's sound is very European, and this album is one of the freshest CD's to come out in quite some time. The Benjamin Gate sounds very unique, and the closest thing I can compare them to is Chasing Furies, although they also remind me of the Cranberries, Luna Halo or SCSI at times.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this album is the fantastic rock 'n' roll voice of 19 year-old lead singer Adrienne Liesching. Her vocals are so unique and powerful that one cannot help but enjoy them. Her voice goes from deep and melodic (on "All Over Me") to aggressive and rock star-ish ("Lay it Down") to haunting, Dido-esque ("Halo").
The variety on Untitled is also incredible. "Nightglow" is a European techno/dance song, while the thrashing rock song "Rush" features a brief rap interlude, and "Hands" is a thoughtful piano ballad. Many of the songs, however, such as "Scream", "Blow My Mind" and "Live out Loud", are straight up modern rock.
The lyrics on Untitled are generally quite worshipful. There is a level of poetry and introspection in Liesching's lyrics that I greatly enjoy. With high doses of originality, good lyrics, great rock music and excellent vocals, this is one record that any rock fan's collection is incomplete without.
Josh's Score: 3.5/5
Mark's Score: 4/5
Nathan's Score: 3.5/5
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 2002Reviewed by Neal T. RedmanIf you don't enjoy a grittier rock sound, this album is not for you. However, the Benjamin's Gate combination of rock and techno/electronica make this a very interesting record to listen to. Also, the lyrics and singing convey a passion and depth of feeling not often heard in music these days (including Christian music), making this one worth checking out.The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Alex KlagesThe problem with reviewing this CD is that this band is trying to actually do something a little different from most other bands. Sure, there are lots of female-fronted rock bands, but few lead vocalists have a set of pipes quite as strong as young Adrienne Liesching. Not many straight-up rock bands mix quite so much electronic noise into the songs to create a soundscape quite this lush. Producer…Similar sounding releases
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