Scale the Summit Takes Its Faithful on a Breathtaking Odyssey

Houston's Scale the Summit has apparently graduated from the Rush school of instrumental virtuosity. "Odyssey", a track lifted from the four piece's "The Migration" is astonishing in how it shifts back and forth between heavy, pectoral flexing displays of guitar magic making and quieter periods of light as air noodling around. Don't think the song's caliber of greatness both lives and dies behind what's cooking behind the frets. Pat Skeffington is a demonic drummer who can easily keep up with the clever riffs of his bandmates Chris Letchford (7 string guitar), Travis Levrier (7 string guitar) and Mark Michell (6 string bass). The best way to fully appreciate what "Odyssey" has to offer is to liken this mind melting voyage to a trip along the perilous twists and turns of a roller coaster. At first the coaster slinks its way up the rails, anticipation building among the riders. The coaster hits the top of the mountain, then, band of demented screamers in tow, plunges to a low point, then winds around the ups and downs and curves to follow. For openers we receive the kind of vulgar display of power hard rockers Pantera would approve of. This is proof you don't need a tattoo sporting front man to inject your hard rock outfit with belly fire. Both Chris and Travis make it look tremendously easy. They're whipping up a jaw dropping rock story and following the "pages" wherever they may lead is a good bit of the fun. After the initial barrage of thunder, the bottom drops out and we're left clinging to a weightless parachute full of gripping atmospherics. That is soon replaced with another wave of blistering interplay. Mark's bass kind of resembles a trigger happy rifleman's weapon of choice. He sends waves underneath the psycho surf Chris and Travis ride on, improvise on and, eventually get ingeniously carried away on. The "lull period" from an intensity standpoint, which shows up during the second half of the track is a unique entity in and of itself. Kind of the sun counterbalancing rain. Simply put, the outro is gently wafting embers on the heels of a blaze that wasn't just smoke and mirrors. Scale the Summit blew onto the landscape in 2004 and, it's a commitment to the don't take the easy way out brand of creativity that certainly heightens its prospects for forging a career that jumps the one decade hurdle and races in pursuit of whatever the finish line has in store for them. "Odyssey" is one trip that won't leave you cash poor but will make you wish you had put more film in your camera.