Nova Scotia's Marc Durkee has been quietly churning out quality albums and EPs since 2013. His material usually sits somewhere between gothic and folk rock on the spectrum of Bandcamp solo projects, But on his fourth release, Marc has found his inner metalhead and it suits him. Remain In Stasis is a deeply personal rock record that winds its way through feelings of depression, introspection and eventually, triumph. It should be high on the list of anyone who's enjoyed doom metal's rise into the indie spotlight.
Fans of progressive acts in particular, like Anathema, Katatonia, Opeth and Tool, will find much to appreciate in Durkee's vocal and guitar melodies. The shuddering beat of "A Way to Escape" brings to mind A Perfect Circle, as well as prog-master Steven Wilson. Durkee retains his clear folk voice and he puts it to great use on tracks like "Redesign," "The Dark Dimension" and "A Great Disdain." There's an uncanny amount of control in the way he sings emotional lines like "I'm drained, I've said all I can say" — you believe every word he says.
There's a real sense that this is the album Marc Durkee has been building up to, as if all of the acoustic stuff was just a prelude to this. Remain In Stasis is the kind of quality record we don't see too often in this age of micro attention spans and remakes of remakes of remakes. It sounds organic, if that word can be used to describe any music that isn't made in eco-friendly recording spaces. If Marc Durkee can pull off the next step and take his new project to the stage, he stands a real chance of becoming a grassroots sensation. He's got the talent, and he's got the riffs. Now all he needs is a large audience.
(Independent)Fans of progressive acts in particular, like Anathema, Katatonia, Opeth and Tool, will find much to appreciate in Durkee's vocal and guitar melodies. The shuddering beat of "A Way to Escape" brings to mind A Perfect Circle, as well as prog-master Steven Wilson. Durkee retains his clear folk voice and he puts it to great use on tracks like "Redesign," "The Dark Dimension" and "A Great Disdain." There's an uncanny amount of control in the way he sings emotional lines like "I'm drained, I've said all I can say" — you believe every word he says.
There's a real sense that this is the album Marc Durkee has been building up to, as if all of the acoustic stuff was just a prelude to this. Remain In Stasis is the kind of quality record we don't see too often in this age of micro attention spans and remakes of remakes of remakes. It sounds organic, if that word can be used to describe any music that isn't made in eco-friendly recording spaces. If Marc Durkee can pull off the next step and take his new project to the stage, he stands a real chance of becoming a grassroots sensation. He's got the talent, and he's got the riffs. Now all he needs is a large audience.
