At age 11, and while watching Back to the Future, the Sweden-dwelling solo artist behind Too Late to Run became instantly smitten with electric guitar. Yes, his father was a classical guitarist, but it was Marty McFly’s licks and apparent passion that kick-started Lee Allison’s lengthy and fulfilling musical journey. (So, I quietly thanked Michael J. Fox while jamming to Fake News – Too Late to Run’s latest three-song EP expressing classic, heavy, and alternative rock). Does Fake News take to heart the teachings of a time-traveling teenager, or does it linger in a tenacious time loop of artistic tepidity?? Let’s talk about it, and hit the highlights.
Wait. Who does what?
Lee plays everything you hear, and tackles all the mixing and mastering.
An interesting, chuckle-worthy Too Late to Run factoid:
It was “literally named by GoDaddy,” considering there are very few band names left with available domain names.
What’s the meaning, the inspiration, behind Fake News?
Per Lee, “This is a bit of a complaint about the current state of the world. I think I like to get my frustration out using a combination of humour and sarcasm.”
What we’re digging (i.e., hitting the highlights).
The first track, “One Day In Hell,” begins with some sort of muted chugging or soft snare tapping before drums roll into a phasing, sludgy guitar riff. When Lee‘s voice arrives, carefully peeking through electrified bushes but utterly confident, I’m instantly reminded of Queens of the Stone Age. But when the chorus arrives, the vocal becomes more diabolical, and the chords take a familiar, metal-blues, AC/DC-ish turn – they’re dirty, sinister, and begging you to sing along.
Important note: The guitar solo near song’s end features some of the most unique, nimble, and fluttering fingerwork I’ve ever heard. It’s a little fusion-y, with muted notes expanding into full sounds in quick, confident spasms, and each multi-note flickering landing perfectly in unexpected places. Holy crap…this is an amaaaaaaaazing opener.
Track #2, “Burn the Bridge Down,” opening with quivering strings, features a riff – and a rock-solid beat – reminiscent of Danzig. Seriously, I expected Glenn Danzig’s howling Jim Morrison/Elvis Presley hybrid before the first verse arrived.
Lee’s voice takes that diabolical turn, hitting some higher registers (reminiscent of Chris Cornell) that really punctuate the combative, crunchy, and anthemic chorus.
And with a percussive, mechanical bridge, “Burn the Bridge Down” returns with its rebellious call to action and bending, heavy-blues riff. Another excellent track? Oh, hell yeah.
EP closer “Diablo,” palpably more conniving, is a little Frank Zappa-esque with caustic spoken lyrics over a galloping rock beat. The chorus features, quite literally, a multi-voice chorus of “Di-ab-lo, Di-ab-lo” with an answering, anxious screech. And when the song ends, it’s TLTR’s final devilish words, reverse-effect-laden sounds, and a classic arcade game explosion. This one practically oozes – “oozes,” I say(!) – with sarcasm. It’s powerful, playful, and cognizant of the socially acceptable insanity surrounding it. Gooood stuff.
But is it actually good?
It’s hard to find the words to explain how good this is – the melodies, the crackling dark-blues riffs, the equal parts timid and devious vocals, the mixing, production, etc. In fact, it’s so good, it can laugh at itself, and that which attempts to unsuccessfully subvert its reality. Fake News is INCREDIBLE modern rock music dipping into the prismatic black palette dollops of classic rock and heavy metal – it’s the kind of music that thumps behind your chest and coaxes your fists into the air, that wields the sounds of jet engines coaxed through a single guitar amp. Fake News is your new favorite rock/heavy metal record because it’s exactly what rock music forgot to be – powerful, subversive, unapologetically fiendish… and fun. HIGHLY recommended.
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