9 Miles Ahead

Originally posted on May 20, 2014:

          Bands like Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace have, in the past, successfully combined elements of metal, alternative, and grunge.  Their music has characteristic heavy riffs and deep bass lines, while also having melodic vocals.  Stemming from the funk metal of the late 80's, alternative metal/post-grunge began to gain mainstream acceptance in the early 90's and was a strong influence on the creators of the popular music festival, Lollapalooza.  It was, in essence, the publicly acceptable form of pure grunge.  9 Miles Ahead embraces the genre and puts their own spin on it.

          9 Miles Ahead, from Arkansas, is among the latest to join the resurgence of indie rock music with their unique brand of alternative metal/post-grunge/hard rock.  They are made up of members Sam Morphew (Vocals), Thomas Morphew (Guitar), Mark Ligon (Guitar), James Pinkerton (Bass), and Adam Smith (Drums/Vocals).  Thomas Morphew and Mark Ligon began playing together in early 2011 and decided to recruit brother, Sam Morphew for vocals.  This was the basis of the band until James Pinkerton and Adam Smith were brought on later.  Their debut album, Decide, appeals to a wide audience, so lets get started.

9 Miles Ahead's debut album

          The first track on Decide is Just.  It begins with heavy, distorted chords from the rhythm guitar while the lead plays a cleaner chord progression overtop.  The drums provide a thick, active beat while the bass stays in the background and gives and extra layer to the song.  Then Sam Morphew comes in with his confident vocals.  While not being excessively loud or having to strain, he is able to provide strong vocals, which the instrumentation perfectly supports.  During the chorus, Sam shows us a different side of his voice with a slightly exaggerated, melodic tone.  This provides contrast over the heavier bass and guitar riffs.  The lead guitar chooses to follow him in this section and takes a clearer approach as it sings out a more melodious progression.  Two thirds of the way through the song, everything quiets down as the bass gives us a string of low plucked notes.  The vocals come back seconds later in an incredibly haunting way, along with a simple drum beat.  It closes with the chorus full-force and finishes with a quick hard riff coupled with a drum fill.

          The last song on the album, Hate Myself (for loving you), takes a very different approach.  The power-ballad begins with an acoustic picked fill and transitions into (relatively) soft strumming that quickly reverts back to picking, once the vocals kick in.  While still having the confidence of the other tracks, Sam Morphew's singing is quieter and less intense, making for an easier listen.  Again, the melody in his voice comes through during this MTV Ungplugged-esque song.  The song picks up after the first verse when a light drumbeat and soft bass rhythm enter into the mix.  Immediately following the chorus, 9 Miles Ahead goes back to their characteristic heavier sound.  The drumbeat becomes more intense and the electric guitar belts out distorted riffs.  The song continues in this style, with brief acoustic parts interspersed within.  At many points in the second half of the song, Sam really pushes his voice and the expression that comes through during these parts is truly felt by the listener.

9 Miles Head's logo

          Overall, 9 Miles Ahead is a strong group that are developing a style all their own.  Their tendency to use quieter and acoustic sections followed by heavy drumbeats and thick guitar rhythms almost 'shocks' the listener and serves as an integral part in their music.  After hearing what they've done on their first release, I'm excited to hear what they'll put out in the future, as they can only evolve into an even better band.  You can check out their music on Bandcamp (http://9milesahead.bandcamp.com/album/decide).  Also, be sure to head over to their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/9milesahead).  Good luck to you guys.

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading this review.  Please feel free to comment on this article about whatever you feel like (suggestions, what you think of the band, etc...).  If you would like to contact me for any reason, check out the 'Contact' tab above.  Have a nice day and rock on!