IndiePulse Reviews: “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” by UniversalDice
GERRY DANTONE, VETERAN SINGER/SONGWRITER/PRODUCER AND HIS GROUP UNIVERSALDICE LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR HIS EXPLOSIVE ROCK OPERA “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” WITH A FULL LENGTH ALBUM SHOWCASING ITS SONGS
“BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” by UniversalDice is an album for those of us that enjoy true artistic expression, theatrical audio ensembles and the Genre of The Rock Opera. witty and creative lyrics, both hidden and open, “in your face” lines that tell the tale of souls in pursuit of a destiny, rebellion and the mayhem that we call life. it has moments where you lose touch with the world we live in and dwell within the album itself, hypnotic and mesmerizing in Rock and Roll fashion.
With a multitude of styles, from ballad stylings to Hard Rock Anthems and everything in between, “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” has you on the edge of this world. I would say there are times where I would think this is a modern tale of Oedipus Rex or an adaptation of a Shakespearean dramatic play, it is wonderful to behold. Play it loud, sit back and dream the tale that UniversalDice weaves for you.
Challenging today’s pop music orthodoxy that demands quickly consumed single tracks and quick EPs, visionary singer/songwriter/producer Gerry Dantone and his powerhouse Long Island based band UniversalDice are unleashing the hard hitting rock opera ‘BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH”, Its powerful storyline, emotionally compelling lyrics and eclectic music call to mind classics like The Who’s “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia” and Green Day’s “American Idiot.” In the same way Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice released their classics “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita” as commercial recording projects before they hit the sage, Dantone and Universal Dice are laying the groundwork for the eventual staging of their epic work with the release of the 16 track album of the musical.
Listen on Spotify-
From the hard driving opening number “Welcome to the World” (representing birth) through the eternal devotion anthem “Forever” (representing how love endures even past death), “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” features a classic rock sound with ambitious, richly emotional lyrical content designed to transport listeners to another world musically while forcing them to re-think aspects of life they once took for granted. Dantone’s songwriting is focused on deep topics like reason, philosophy, faith, social issues and life’s meaning and purpose.
This musical marks his breakthrough as a composer dedicated to the craft of writing fresh, original love songs illuminating the many aspect of the complicated relationship depicted in the narrative.
Backing him as he sings the roles of Narrator, Mother, The Son, Danielle and Sugar Daddy are longtime bandmates, lead guitarist Bob Barcus and bassist Eddie Canova, who are among Long Island’s top session players. Also helping bring “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” to roaring life are UniversalDice’s newest members, Long Island musical giants, keyboardists Walt Sargent and Vincent Crici. In addition to performing the songs, the band members were all involved hands-on in the recording, mixing and mastering of the album, in addition to contributing to creating the UniversalDice website and album cover art.
“I have a philosophy about lyrics and music,” Dantone says. “I need to have a reason to write the next song. Each piece needs a reason for existing. I have no desire to write songs that have been written before musically and lyrically. Our goal is to stage the rock opera in a theater with actors, sets, and if possible, tour the band with that production or a facsimile, with the model begin Green Day and ‘American Idiot.’ “BIRTH, LOVE, HATE, DEATH” is representative of where I am musically after years of composing and performing with UniversalDice. We’re excited about the album, which is the foundation that is propelling us towards achieving our ultimate goal.”
Follow The Group Online:
http://www.facebook.com/UniversalDice
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Universaldice
And for the 1st 3 CDs https://www.cdbaby.com/artist/universaldicecom
Share this:
BLASTMUSIC247.COM
Leave a Reply