Inspired
by both prog-rockers like King Crimson and innumerable hard rock bands,
Bushwhack unleashes a sonic assault with their self-titled 2007 CD.
A quartet, featuring guitarist Jamie Van Dyck, the Bushwhack
album transcends genres with easefrom atmospheric progressive
to a full on hard rock attack. Working completely within the instrumental
music realm, Bushwhack sound unintimidated by any all music that came
before it. And its quite amazing when you think these guys are
all under 20 years old! Walking a fine musical line between generations
of musical history, Bushwhack successfully deliver their first album
with surprising sonic results. www.bushwhackmusic.com
{Following the release of the Bushwhack album, Jamie Van Dyck
spoke to mwe3.com about his upcoming plans in 2011: "Following
the release of our debut album, we've released an EP earlier this
year called Canvas, but since we're already recording and promoting
new material for our next release, I think it would be best to give
you the first song that we have finished recording. What I am sending
you is the instrumental version of a song that may have vocals at
some point. This is a high quality demo, but is unlikely to be the
version that will appear on our next album. The song is called "Vegging
(Should Be Done With A Rabbit)". The song showcases much more
contemporary influences in the progressive metal/technical metal/alternative
metal genres than the more classic/modern progressive rock sound of
our debut album. The main groove of "Vegging" is in 17/16
time with other parts in 4/4, 7/4, and 6/4 time. The guitar is tuned
to my "signature" new tuning of C-G-C-F-Bb-Eb (a modified
version of Drop C with the top two strings tuned a half-step up from
A and D to Bb and Eb). While most of our songs on our debut album
and Canvas EP clocked in the 5-7 minute range, this song hits hard
and fast and does all its damage in under 4 minutes. We hope you and
everyone dig it! Music video we posted on youtube that would probably
be a cool thing to embed in the article/review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMCPXWUvcpkhd=1
- editor, February 2011}
mwe3.com presents
Guitars Center Stage with
JAMIE VAN DYCK
Musical Background
My
parents started me on a steady dose of Mozart and Beethoven when I
was 3. That year they bought me a Mozart picture book that had a 1-octave
keyboard with the note names written on each key. I fiddled with it
on a daily basis. Then one day when we were on a family trip to Maine,
I heard a fog horn and excitedly told them "It's a D!" I
didn't realize I had done anything special, but apparently I had perfect
pitch. Ever since then, music has been my passion. I played piano
from ages 4-10. That mixed with a short-lived addiction to VH1 led
me to pick up the guitar when I was about 11. So I guess it's been
9 years now.
New CD
Our debut album, Bushwhack is self-titled and an apt
starting point for paving the way for what's to come. We started recording
it back in 2006 when we were all still in high school and finished
it by the summer of 2007 when we'd all graduated and some of us had
already done a year at college. We struggled to find a few hours here
and there on nights and weekends but it's done and it's a pretty monster
record thanks to our perfectionism. We recorded it at Jeff Cannata's
Oxford Circus studio in Hamden, CT, and Jeff produced, engineered
and mixed it to completion. The songs on the album reflect my affinity
for thick textured chords and ambient layering in clean parts, wall
of sound beefiness on the heavier parts, and the occasional raw bad
ass riff here and there. As a guitar player, I hold composition and
harmony in higher esteem than technical prowess, but I show off my
chops a bit in the solos of "Mariachi Massacre" and "Honor."
Favorite
Guitars
For the most part, I use Schecter guitars as their sound,
look, and playability are comparable to those of the higher end Ibanez,
PRS, and ESP models but for quite a bit cheaper, which allows me to
own two 6-string C-1 Classics with Seymour Duncan Pickups and a 7-string
Hellraiser with EMG's, all 3 with different tunings. I keep one of
the C-1 classics in drop-D tuning and the other in an open D minor
tuning: D-A-D-F-A-D which has some really beautiful chords. For the
7-string, I drop the low B down to a low A, and the other six strings
are the same as a standard tuned guitar. I also own an Ibanez baritone
that I tune to Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) that I'll use much more on
our next album. On the debut I also used our producer's Gibson Les
Paul for some of the solos, and his Fender Telecaster for clean open
chords with studio chorus, reverb, and delay. Live, I use a Fender
Hot Rod Deville amplifier, but I may add a Mesa/Boogie DC-5 to the
setup very soon when I find the right speaker cabinet to accompany
it.
Musical Influences
My primary musical influence is Steven Wilson of Porcupine
Tree. His musical values are similar to mine, he is a topnotch songwriter
and a pretty damn good guitar player as well. Their albums In Absentia,
The Sky Moves Sideways, and their latest Fear Of A Blank Planet
are all masterpieces. Other favorite guitar players of mine include
Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Sahaj Ticotin
of Ra, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Clint
Lowery and John Connolly of Sevendust, Mark Engles of Dredg, and Drew
Goddard of Karnivool. I also really like orchestral rock music so
Metallica's S&M is a huge album for me as well as Rammstein's
Mutter and Fair To Midland's Fables From A Mayfly.
Web Site
www.bushwhackmusic.com
contact: bushwhack management