BUSHWHACK
Bushwhack
(Bushwhack Entertainment)

 

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 ease—from 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 it’s 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

 

 
   
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