Martie Peters Group - 'Road To Salvation'
Released through MTM Music in 2007
THE BAND:
Martie Peters - all vocals, acoustic & clean guitars, synthesizers &
piano, strings and programming
Martian Slott - electric & acoustic guitars
Jakob Schlein - drums
BJ - bass
TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "Fallen" -This track opens with a synthesizer and heavily
influenced Aldo Nova lead guitar lick. There is a small rhythm guitar riff
that connects this pre-musical intro with the main musical intro section.
There is a small minor lead guitar solo that connects the main intro section
with the opening verse. The way Martie arranged the lyrical verse
consisted of the lyric lines being laced in between the musical arrangements.
There is a small rhythm arrangement change for the chorus. There is a
minor lead guitar solo that connects the first chorus with the second verse.
The musical arrangements underneath the second verse differs quite a bit from
the first musical verse. This for me, was the song's musical hook!
For the vocal lines of the second verse Martie added several vocal accents to
his vocals. The major solo is after the second chorus. All in all
this song was kept very basic with huge hooks. There is a small musical
rest that leads into the last chorus. This musical rest really accented
the outro section of the song.
2.) "Chosen One" -There is a small synthesized keyboard arrangement
over the top of this intro section. Connecting the intro section to the
verse there is a small minor lead guitar solo. As the verse progresses
Martie makes little tweaks to the musical arrangement building a foundation for
the huge hook of the coming chorus. I thought the hook of the chorus was
huge until I heard the hook of the chorus. There is a small vocal echo attached
to the last lyric of the first chorus. There is a small lead guitar lick
that connects the first pre-chorus and chorus to the second pre-chorus and
chorus. The double bass drum pattern underneath the very laid back minor
melodic lead guitar solo gave the solo section a certain heaviness. For
decades songwriters try to write songs with hooks such as the ones this track
has, so all up and coming songwriters take notes this is how sweet hooks are to
sound. The last lead guitar solo is the more major lead guitar solo of the
song. This solo runs over the top of the outro section.
3.) "Shallow" -There is a twin lead guitar solo over the top of this
intro section. Martie's vocal lines of the pre-verse are very reminiscent
of Mike Tramp and the stuff Mike done on White Lion's 'Pride' CD release on June
21, 1987. There is a small echo attached to Martie's vocal lines of the
pre-verse. Martie changed the rhythm of the verse just enough to off set
it from the pre-verse. There is a minor lead guitar solo/rhythm underneath
the vocal lines of the choruses. The chorus flows real nice giving it
great hook. There is a small lead guitar lick that kicks off the second
pre-verse. If I am not mistaken, I heard one acoustic guitar along with
two different electric guitar rhythms on this song. Taking into
consideration the type of song this is I felt the lead guitar solo should have
been a lot more intense. There is a small programmed drum pattern
underneath the breakdown section of the song. Coming from someone who arranges
music I know why it was used but it does not mean I have to like it. There
was a minor lead guitar solo for the outro section of the song.
4.) "The Clown" -The intro to this track consisted of a classic late
fifties rock and roll intro section with a minor lead guitar solo over the top
of it. The musical verse consisted of the same fifties arrangement with a
modern musical feel to it. The vocal lines of the chorus consisted of a
huge vocal hook. The great lyricist Steven Tyler of Aerosminth used the
same type of lyric arrangement on the band's 1997 'Nine Lives' release on the
song "Full Circle". All in all this track was simply amazing!
5.) "Wish" -The intro to this track opens with a very heavy distorted
rhythm guitar riff. The heavy guitar riff leads into the musical
pre-verse. Martie added a vocal effect to his lead vocal lines of the
pre-verse. Underneath the lead vocal lines there is a programmed musical
arrangement. The main musical rhythm of the song does not really kick-in
until the musical verse. Martie's backing harmonies overdubs of the
choruses were very tight giving them a very sweet hook. For me, if it had
not been for the programming musical arrangements of the pre-verse this song
would have been amazing! However, the musical programming makes it just a decent
song.
6.) "For What It's Worth" -The intro to this ballad opens with a
acoustic guitar along with a programmed hi-hat effect. Over the top of the
intro section there is a minor synthesized keyboard solo. In several ways,
this musical intro reminded me of some of Def Leppard's intros during their
'Hysteria' days. The band used the same acoustic guitar for the pre-verse
and verse as the intro section. Martie incorporated a small piano
arrangement underneath the musical verse. There is a small vocal echo in
between the first chorus and second pre-chorus. Once again Martie's
backing vocal overdubs were amazing. At times you can hear a small
programmed percussion section used to fill-in the empty spaces of the
arrangement. This song was screaming for some type of piano or laid back
melodic electric guitar solo.
7.) "Swimming In Your Blue Eyes" -This track opens with a small piano
piece before going into the main musical intro. The main musical intro
consisted of a very laid back melodic minor lead guitar solo over the top of it.
Underneath the vocal lines of the verse there is a small piano arrangement.
At first I thought the piano really does not fit the musical arrangement.
However the more I listen to the song the more I realize this song would sound
empty without it. Martie's vocals have a very Mike Tramp feel to them.
BJ's bass line really gives this song a very nice sound. The lead guitar
solo wrote for this track, though short, was one of the best on the CD!
8.) "Silence Sits At My Thorne" -The minor lead guitar solo over the
top of this intro section gives the song a very late eighties melodic hard rock
sound. The opening bass line for the first couple measures blew me away.
The main rhythm guitar riffs through the verse are very laid back letting the
vocals, bass and drums carry the song. The lead vocals along with Martie's
backing vocal overdubs gives this song a very sweet hook. There is a minor
lead guitar lick that connects the first chorus wit the second verse. The
major lead guitar solo after the second chorus had a very laid back melodic feel
to it.
9.) "Kill The Pain" -A chorded keyboard opens this track before going
into the main intro section. The rhythm guitar riffs of the main intro
arrangement had an older hard rock feel. There are backing vocal overdubs
laced throughout the lyrical pre-verse. As the pre-verse progresses it
builds with musical power. The band kept the rhythm guitar riffs very
simple. There is a small lead guitar solo that connects the first chorus
with the second verse. All in all this sound was very basic that walks a
fine line of abstractedness.
10.) "Waitin' In Line" - This song actually has two intro sections.
The first intro section consisted of a minor lead guitar solo over the top of a
acoustic guitar arrangement. The second intro section consisted of the
full band playing a very simple musical arrangement underneath a second minor
lead guitar solo. The verse had a very laid back feel to it. For the
pre-chorus the band changes the arrangement a little giving the song a little
heavier feel. Musically and vocally this is melodic rock songwriting 101!
'Nuff Said!!!
11.) "All I Have" - There is a small vocal accent over the top
of the intro for this ballad. The verse consisted of just rhythm guitar
and vocals. The song really does not kick in until the one lyric line
chorus. Underneath the main verse there is a small lead guitar solo
section. The wah-wah effect of the rhythm guitar gave the song a very
abstract feel. At times Martie's vocals sounded like they were a cross
between Mike Tramp of White Lion and Tony Harnell of TNT.
12.) "Road To Salvation" -There is a minor lead guitar solo over the
top of this intro section. The main instrumentation underneath the first
couple lyric lines of the verse was a church organ. The musical
arrangement goes through several diverse changes that will keep the listener on
their toes not never knowing what to expect. Musically this song made for
a great closing track for a great CD!
First off, I have to say this is proof looks can be
deceiving. ‘Road To Salvation’ just happened to be the first CD I pulled out of
the last package I received from my good friends from ArtistWorXX out of
Germany. My first impression of Martie looks wise was he looks completely the
opposite of hard rock. In fact, I was expecting a very almost Justine
Timberlake type sound. Boy was I completely off base!
‘Road To Salvation’ is one of the most laid back melodic hard
rock sounding CD’s I have heard in a very long time. If the opening track
titled “Fallen” does not hook you to the band’s melodic sound then the second
track “Chosen One” will. If Mike Tramp, Aldo Nova along with Reo
Speedwagon were to have a love child it's name would be Martie Peters. All
essential fans of melodic rock should definitely check this CD out!