"Washington State" on CDBaby
"Washington State" on iTunes
By Roger "Red" Byrne
Definitely among the year's most ambitious independent releases is this 10-track project from Ben Averch (http://averch.blogspot.com).
Drawing upon both the molten metal of early '90s grunge in Seattle and the futurist, high-I.Q. progressive rock of Rush and Yes, Averch raises the bar for today's modern rock bands. The only difference is that Averch doesn't have a group. Each note on "Washington State" was played by Averch himself. If you didn't know that, it's doubtful that you would've figured it out as Averch has exceptional skills.
Much has been written about Rush being a super-powered trio, but what can you say about a solo act such as Averch, who can minimize Pearl Jam's amp wallop on "Reset the Clock" without any additional player? Averch must be an octopus, each tentacle having mastered every instrument, from guitar to drums to Moog synthesizer to bass.
This is a truly impressive effort, produced with muscle and smarts.
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Jacobsen
Lyrically, Averch is an introspective fellow. In "No Division," Averch sings, "Last night I met my future self/He was strong and sure and confident/He said 'everything we've ever done/Has brought us here to this place.'" Sometimes in life we don't see the point of anything until years later when the waves have cleared and we can read the message in the sand. And when was the last time that a rock album actually made you think?
For more details, visit: http://averch.blogspot.com
author: Adam Harrington
Our Rating: 8/10
It doesn't sound like it, but there is only one Ben Averch (http://averch.blogspot.com).
That is Ben Averch on vocals.
That is Ben Averch on guitar.
That is Ben Averch on bass.
That is Ben Averch on keyboards.
That is Ben Averch on drums.
For a solo project, "Washington State" has enough thump and widescreen soundscapes to fill a dozen bands. Hilariously, most rock groups these days seem thin compared to this. Averch kicks out the jams from the first cut, "Reset the Clock." Featuring the booming bass and drums that characterizes the rest of the LP, Averch aims for a big arena feel and nails it, slamming together U2 and Blue Oyster Cult to create a heavenly noise. Lyrically, Averch is a poet, finding spiritual renewal in the beauty of nature: "Open up to the shattering sky/As the red-tailed hawk begins to cry/It's a promise that I need to make/To find the center of the lake." Like Live, Averch has a wondering - and wandering - soul yet he's able to avoid any pretentiousness.
"In a Dream State" echoes the title of the record, recalling Seattle's Soundgarden in their mid-'90s form without the rainy Emerald City angst. "No Division" and "Levitate" are both reminiscent of Rush with their propulsive and magnetic guitar work. Averch is an amazing axeman; check out the scorching Stone Gossard-ish solo in "Sandcast."
At a time when real rock seems to be going extinct, Averch arrives to breathe new life into the genre, even if it's all by himself.
"Washington State" in Ink 19
by Kyrby Raine
The title is certainly apt. For an album that ventures into wide-open spaces, Ben Averch made the best decision in naming it after the Pacific Northwest. This is a heavy album, but not in terms of volume. Yes, it's quite loud; but these days that adjective has a different definition. Loud as in Korn or Pantera? Good Lord, no. Averch has no interest in dissonance. Instead, he is a one-man symphony of prog rock, utilizing Rush, King's X and Queensryche as reference points to launch his own vision of thinking man's metal.
Playing every instrument himself, Averch manages to splice the parts together and produce an album that is cohesive and intelligent. This is some pretty brainy music, taking listeners back to the time when rock bands could make people think. To today's generation, the modern blueprint for that belongs to Radiohead. Not to Averch, though. Averch's musical heroes are obviously in the progressive rock camp, top-notch musicians that believed in stimulating the brain, not annoying us with pointless avant-garde moves.
Averch includes the lyrics in the CD. Read as you listen. In order to properly experience this record, you have to absorb everything -- the words, the music, the production, which is sparklingly clean and beefs up the instruments, resulting in an epic rollercoaster ride for the ears.
"Start at the Beginning" on CDBaby
"Start at the Beginning" on iTunes
Ben Averch hails from Seattle, Washington and is a very accomplished musician. He's released his second CD and plays all the instruments on it. I am always amazed at how one person can create something that sounds like a band effort. The record has a very heavy prog feel to it and is a combination of electronica, prog, heavy guitar, and acoustic. All in all, this is a really good release with very well written lyrics and diverse musical compositions that keep the listener entertained and basically singing along. The songs are catchy and well crafted and the vocals are very harmonious and melodic. Definitely a great combination of rock and pop.
START AT THE BEGINNING is testament to the composing genius that is Ben Averch. Ben has added to his music what few others in the prog-related world focus enough on - a rich, well developed sense of melody. The result is good meat for musicians, with plenty of tasty twists and turns, but also an album that is exceptionally listenable. You'll find yourself humming the well-crafted choruses long after your first listen; they're pleasantly catchy. Ben's unique voice works very well with this material, and his sense of harmony shines through on some very well executed backing vocals. At times, he brings to mind a certain flavor of Geoff Tate (Queensryche). The guitar work is superb, making ample use of arpeggios that always seem to fit just right. His work on the lower end is good as well, but the production can keep it from being fully realized at times. Tracks that real shine through are "Two Places at Once", "It Ain't Me", "Out of My Reach" (this reviewer's personal favorite), and "What Holds us Together". Play the samples - they're great!. This CD is a must-have for anyone who might appreciate a modern approach to rock, with a good portion of 80s pop sensibilities (think Rush from Power Windows meets Yes from 90215, with a touch of The Police from Synchronicity, but updated for the new millennium).
Multi-instrumentalist BEN AVERCH is coming out of Boston, USA and has already released a few albums as well as playing in a band called BISON during the 1990s. Now he has released his second solo-CD titled ‘Start at the Beginning’. Musically we are listening to a mix of catchy 80s Poser Melodic Rockchoruses (sometimes), a lot of Poprock in a sort of almost DONNIE IRIS type of setting and some Punkrock, which is kinda weird as it is mixing DEAD KENNEDYS, CHEAP TRICK and SLYBOYZ, which you can hear during the first couple of songs, namely “Two places at once” being a very catchy melodic rock tune with a chorus a la SLYBOYZ, whilst “It ain’t me” is sounding like a CHEAP TRICKish Poprock version of DEAD KENNEDYS. But most of the CD is a pure Poprock bliss, some call it Powerpop… Ben is doing everything on his own and although the production is a bit thin, this CD is nice to check out and will mostly attract fans of catchy Poprock.
Ben Averch - Start at the Beginning
You have heard of the one man band eh? Ben Averch is literally that. His latest effort showcases him playing everything and doing vocals. You can tell he is really a fan of Rush and a pretty decent era of Rush in my humble opinion. The sound of the guitars and the structure of the songs remind me of Rush around the mid to late 80's. He manages to hit the technicality that is progressive Rush, but not get so overly technical that it becomes boring. I would love to hear this record performed with a complete band and maybe hand off to a different vocalist. He's not bad, but does have a different quality in ways. Keep your eye on Ben Averch!