Been wanting to cover this song for a minute! "Algorithmic Salvation" by The Zenith Passage.
If you're not familiar with TZP, here's a quick history. I first heard of them back when I was still in The Faceless (early-ish to mid 2010's). It was started by Justin McKinney, & it was fairly clear that he drew a lot of inspiration from The Faceless. I remember him coming around to some of our practices in LA, actually - that's when I first met him (this was well before he was actually in The Faceless, though).
Anyway - long story short, not too much later I resigned from The Faceless (as did almost everyone). The next iteration of Faceless-members would include Justin McKinney, so I'd image TZP was put on the back-burner for awhile. Somewhere in there, Justin must've met/befriended other ex-Faceless members, & when he eventually/also resigned from The Faceless, some of those earlier ex-Faceless members started working on TZP with him. Those new Zenith members include original Faceless vocalist Derek Rydquist, & bass player Brandon Giffin.
In other words: Most of the band is comprised of people that've all played in The Faceless at one point in time (Lol!). To me, TZP is kind of like... an extension of that sound/band. Sort of a continuation of what could've been. Naturally, I think it's hella sick, & really wanted to cover this song since I first heard it.
& if you'd like to check out more of the band, this track is from their latest album, 'Datalysium', released via Metalblade Records earlier this year. I'll put some links below!
AppleMusic:
https://apple.co/474NeGT
Spotify:
https://spoti.fi/3slW7ge
For the record: I'm not personally involved as a member of TZP. I can see how, being that I'm also an ex-Faceless member, & am covering one of their tunes, one might think that. So just wanted to clarify. LOL. I just think they're sick. PLUS, while I wasn't in The Faceless at the same time as literally ANY of the ex-Faceless members that're now in The Zenith Passage (LOL), I do sorta know them, too. Mainly, Brandon Giffin, who I did a whole tour with (when he & I both played for Evan Brewer's solo project in the mid 2010's). Derek I never really got to know as well, but I did play a show with him - way back on whatever Summer Slaughter tour I did with The Faceless... the current vocalist (at the time) had to leave temporarily for a wedding, so Derek flew out & filled in for that gig. Was a rad gig, too (Dallas / Fort Worth, TX, I think!). But yeah, anyway: I'm not a member of the band, just think it's sick, & wanted to support THE HOMIES by doing a cover! The drums on the latest Zenith album are actually programmed.
And SPEAKING of that: Some of the drum parts Justin programmed were definitely a bit... inhuman/awkward. Now, personally, I sort of enjoy this challenge. LOL. I had to figure out a way to play certain things, & the best way I could think to do this was to add an old / discontinued #TAMA Cobra Clutch to my setup. Mentioning here because, frankly, you can hardly see it. I switch it from closed to open during the pause at 2:28, then vice versa at 3:02. But I'm planning to make a little video about this SPECIFICALLY, addressing more detail, that I'll post on instagram in the next week or so! Stay tuned for that!
So, yeah. This was a fun (& challenging!) tune. Felt good to do some TECH stuff, too. & yes, I setup the big ol' double bass kit. How could I not?! 😉🤣
If you're not familiar with TZP, here's a quick history. I first heard of them back when I was still in The Faceless (early-ish to mid 2010's). It was started by Justin McKinney, & it was fairly clear that he drew a lot of inspiration from The Faceless. I remember him coming around to some of our practices in LA, actually - that's when I first met him (this was well before he was actually in The Faceless, though).
Anyway - long story short, not too much later I resigned from The Faceless (as did almost everyone). The next iteration of Faceless-members would include Justin McKinney, so I'd image TZP was put on the back-burner for awhile. Somewhere in there, Justin must've met/befriended other ex-Faceless members, & when he eventually/also resigned from The Faceless, some of those earlier ex-Faceless members started working on TZP with him. Those new Zenith members include original Faceless vocalist Derek Rydquist, & bass player Brandon Giffin.
In other words: Most of the band is comprised of people that've all played in The Faceless at one point in time (Lol!). To me, TZP is kind of like... an extension of that sound/band. Sort of a continuation of what could've been. Naturally, I think it's hella sick, & really wanted to cover this song since I first heard it.
& if you'd like to check out more of the band, this track is from their latest album, 'Datalysium', released via Metalblade Records earlier this year. I'll put some links below!
AppleMusic:
https://apple.co/474NeGT
Spotify:
https://spoti.fi/3slW7ge
For the record: I'm not personally involved as a member of TZP. I can see how, being that I'm also an ex-Faceless member, & am covering one of their tunes, one might think that. So just wanted to clarify. LOL. I just think they're sick. PLUS, while I wasn't in The Faceless at the same time as literally ANY of the ex-Faceless members that're now in The Zenith Passage (LOL), I do sorta know them, too. Mainly, Brandon Giffin, who I did a whole tour with (when he & I both played for Evan Brewer's solo project in the mid 2010's). Derek I never really got to know as well, but I did play a show with him - way back on whatever Summer Slaughter tour I did with The Faceless... the current vocalist (at the time) had to leave temporarily for a wedding, so Derek flew out & filled in for that gig. Was a rad gig, too (Dallas / Fort Worth, TX, I think!). But yeah, anyway: I'm not a member of the band, just think it's sick, & wanted to support THE HOMIES by doing a cover! The drums on the latest Zenith album are actually programmed.
And SPEAKING of that: Some of the drum parts Justin programmed were definitely a bit... inhuman/awkward. Now, personally, I sort of enjoy this challenge. LOL. I had to figure out a way to play certain things, & the best way I could think to do this was to add an old / discontinued #TAMA Cobra Clutch to my setup. Mentioning here because, frankly, you can hardly see it. I switch it from closed to open during the pause at 2:28, then vice versa at 3:02. But I'm planning to make a little video about this SPECIFICALLY, addressing more detail, that I'll post on instagram in the next week or so! Stay tuned for that!
So, yeah. This was a fun (& challenging!) tune. Felt good to do some TECH stuff, too. & yes, I setup the big ol' double bass kit. How could I not?! 😉🤣
Alex Rudinger - THE ZENITH PASSAGE - "Algorithmic Salvation"
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