Evacuate Chicago – Veracity Review

Evacuate Chicago is a three piece band featuring Alex Preiss on drums, Joshua Key on guitar and bass, and Rob Kersey on lead vocals.  Their debut album, Veracity, shows flashes of musical brilliance defined by Key’s guitar and Preiss’s drums.  Unfortunately, Kersey growls gutturally on too many tracks like Phil Anselmo if Phil was untalented and this fact makes this record average at best.

The opener “Occasional Letter Number One” has savage guitar and great musical energy.  Beginning a trend, Kersey growls and howls much too much.  While he screams, “I won’t let you,” he sounds like he’s two years old.  What a treat for us as he tries to sell his music to toddlers.  He rails against some unnamed oppressor and we’re falling in love with the oppressor.  He sings something about making his own choices and his own decisions like a spoiled little rich kid wailing against his parents.

We hoped the second track, “Nothing Like You” would feature better, more mature vocals.  Not today.  The baby Kersey screams, “You Don’t Know Me” in his lame guttural voice and we’re glad we don’t.  The guitar rips so we’re not too bummed.  “Deny” is way too over the top to be anything close to a decent song.  The drums are good, though.  Of course the track features way derivative competing vocal tracks.  A shocker.

“Perfect Ratio” features Kersey’s first stab at singing and he’s not bad at all.  The guitar is typically ferocious as Key plays like a man possessed by the ghost of Jimi.  This song is really, really good.  We can barely move because we’re beyond stunned.

“The Hole” has a title that reminds us of Tool.  Unfortunately, Kersey’s not close to being as talented of a singer as Tool’s Maynard Keenan.  Thankfully, Kersey whispers a lot.  Key continues to play with the expertise of the tragically gone but not forgotten Dimebag Darrell.  Thankfully, Dimebag left us for a better place before Veracity was released.

“The Damage Has Been Done” features vintage Metallica guitar and drums.  Kersey tries to damage us with his too bad to be hilarious vocals but we’re strong and dealt with people like him while a child and learned that they are powerless and probably bound for prison.  The guitar riffs at the end are pure Melvins at their best.

“Proof of Dark Matter” begins with two guitars that just rip.  Please, lord above, put Key in a real band.  Thankfully, Kersey decides to stop trying to punish us and, yes, actually sings!  Kersey sounds a little bit like Maynard and if the dude has a brain in his head and likes success even a little bit he’ll try to do so much more often.  The vocals are relaxed and real.  This begs the question, why can’t he sing like this all the time?  Piano at the end is dope defined.  A very strong song.

On “Progress Beyond Repair,” Key’s staccato riffs and time changes are simplistic yet amazing.  His shredding gives us energy.  If Kirk Hammett has heard him play, he’s probably pleased.  Right when we’re starting to really dig the tune, Kersey begins to sing and we’re bummed.  When he howls at the end of the song, “You misjudge me,” we’re happy that he’s upset and like the accused misjudger a lot.

Key’s winding guitar and Preiss’s nice, relaxed drums begin “Velociraptors” and Kersey is thankfully singing very lowly.  To our dismay, he begins his signature growl/howl and we’re wishing the dude had hired a vocal coach or a producer who would have talked him out of his error.

The guitar energy on Veracity is way cool.  We’d love to hear Key play in a much more mature band.  This energy, acoustic and electric guitar, and simple yet powerful drums begin the surprisingly decent “Time Lapse Photography”.  Thankfully, Kersey sings in his reasonable, tuneful voice for most of the song.  At the end he returns to his old ways and we’re bummed again.

“Peace, Love, And Santa Claus” is a way rad title and of course the guitar and drums are amazing.  Kersey’s singing not growling and letting the music take over.  Alright.  Shades of great early Metallica.  He actually sings slowly and we’re wondering when the drugs wore off.  Now we’re feeling that this band might have a future.  Please focus on the word “might”.

“Forgiveness Epidemite” begins with slow drums and guitar that just wails.  Stunning.  Then, once again, the growling begins.  Did Kersey’s mom love him?  We doubt it.  Key plays guitar with the ferocity and touch of a young Brian May.  Preiss drums like a mellow combination of Alex Van Halen and John Bonham.  If you don’t know who Brian May is and profess to know a lot about rock, you don’t.  When Key overdubs the guitar we’re in heaven.  The tune gets way slow and Kersey, at his best, whispers.  The less of this wannabe the better.

Guttural, growling vocals are cool if they are real and not forced.  Kersey’s sound fake and beyond forced throughout Veracity.  It’s like someone taught him this style without teaching him under what circumstances it works.  Until Kersey actually sings on every song Evacuate Chicago will be average at best.  We’re not sure why Preiss and Key work with Kersey.  They’re in a completely different league.

Label: Rock Ridge Music – Rating:

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Like Evacuate Chicago?  Check out:  Metallica, Pantera

About This Writer

Position: Reviews Writer (Modern Rock)Location: Torrance, CABio: My educational background is in business and in mathematics. I've worked in the restaurant, banking, consulting, energy, software, investment, and education industries. I've lived primarily in southern California and also in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Houston, Manhattan, and Saudi Arabia.Likes: My favorite bands are R.E.M., Van Halen, the Babys, and Echo and the Bunnymen. My favorite genres are alternative and classic rock. The first concert that I saw was ELO. The best concert that I've seen was the Waterboys.Twitter: Twitter.com/JimSwigart

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