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| Frameshift - An Absence of Empathy |
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Artist: Frameshift
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Type: Audio CD [ View other products of this type ]
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In the beginning
The basic concept of Frameshift’s Human Grain was conceived by progrockrecords president Shawn Gordon. Several years ago he played keyboards for the band Zircadian and they had a partially written concept album under the name Prophet Savant which gave us the initial idea for Human Grain. In their storyline a man experiences different forms of violence because he becomes a kind of seer. They had written songs for an epic battle and two torture scenes.
In countless eMails and meetings (one including Stephan Kernbach from Chain) Shawn Gordon and Henning Pauly developed this idea into the storyline and concept that is now the new Frameshift album. They dropped the mystical approach and decided to move it closer towards a real situation, distancing the concept from being a story around a person and rather focusing on what that person experiences. In this respect the album actually does not have a real storyline, just like Unweaving the Rainbow, but a series of songs around the same topic. This time around Sebastian Bach, ex-lead for Skid Row was tapped for vocals thanks to an introduction by James LaBrie of Dream Theater who did vocals on the first Frameshift album.
Human Grain - The Concept
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent”
This quote gives you a good idea what this album is about. It is about violence, human violence to be precise. It is ever present and, in varying degrees, ingrained in all of us. Viiolence is in all of us, but the question is what factors determine who lets it show through and how does it show itself. The same questions haunts the protagonist of Human Grain. He is a curious individual who wants to know why the media is filled with news about murder, rape and war and he is afraid that he might have the potential for violence himself. He starts to research the subject, but this is not enough because it can’t show him what motivates the person that acts violently, what plagues them and it doesn’t make him feel the pain of the victims. His desire to understand one of humanity’s most basic traits leads to a series of vivid dreams that appear to be so real that he can’t escape this dream world until it is all over. In them, he becomes the killer, he becomes the rapist, he becomes the soldier, he becomes the mother crying for her daughter who was raped.
The first song introduces the theme and illustrates how our main character is plagued by his questions about humanity’s major flaw. He starts a journey into the minds of other people to experience violence first hand. At the end of the album he draws his conclusion and asks himself if there is nothing else to us than hurting each other and the answer he finds is worthy of discovery.
Human Grain takes you into the psyche of several different people who are either experiencing or acting out violence. Each form of violence is dealt with in two songs, each one shedding light on a different point view of the scenario. For example, one song illustrates a torture scene from the point of view of the torturer and the paired song takes you into the same room, this time from the point of view of the man being tortured. Another pairing is about violence in schools. One song deals with a teacher using psychological violence towards his students who then rebel and the other song is about a school shooting.
More detailed song information can be found here.
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Audio samples:
 01. Human Grain
02. Just One More
03. Miseducation
04. I Killed You
05. This Is Gonna Hurt
06. Push The Button
07. In An Empty Room
08. Outcast
09. Blade
10. How Long Can I Resist
11. When I Look Into My Eyes
12. What Kind Of Animal
Album reviews:
Spanish review
Read full story at http://manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/F/FRAMESHIFT/absence-of-empathy.html
...From track four, I Killed You, I started wondering whether this was extremely good or extremely bad. Through bouts of Push the Button, In an Empty Room and Blade, I kept wondering. By the end, What Kind of Animal, (aptly titled when applied to this project) I was sold!
I’m sure that months from now, this will be one of my favourite albums. Certainly unusual and original, definitely worth having!
Read full story at http://www.webcandesign.com/ajmusicmedia/Without_FL/iframes/iframe_artists/reviews/original/frameshift_absence_of_empathy.asp
...An Absence of Empathy is one of the most thrilling releases I have recently bumped into, and I truly hope Bach stays around for another release of this outfit as I cannot imagine any other vocalist blending better. Let everyone else be on the watch for a new Dream Theater, I’ll be on the watch for the new Frameshift! (and play this one constantly until it arrives) (9.5/10)
Read full story at http://maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_iss39_2749.php
...On this song you can hear a lot of strange electric effects which you’ll hear on other songs as well, it just makes it all more exciting, together with the terrific guitarsound and the great synth solos. Sometimes the harmonies are a bit complex, but nowhere it goes over the top, just because it has the right dose of melody and on the right moment the exact tempo-changes. Lyrically this is sort of conceptalbum again, but now build around the nature of violence in humans. Folks that only like progmetal with clean vocals will be a bit disappointed I guess, but I can’t say anything else then that this is a decent album, suitable for every progfan, just try it out, give it a chance!
Read full story at http://www.musketeerofdeath.nl/cdrframe.htm
Italian review
Read full story at http://www.metal-zone.it/recensioni/frameshift.htm
Interview with Henning
Read full story at http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/pauly-henning-050912.shtml
Shift your CD player over to Frameshift by An Absence of Emapthy. Jouney into the reasons for and the meaning or search for meaning in violence. An Absence of Emapthy will take you down a winding road as they ponder this and rock out while doing it. Hard core guitar and drum combos, special sound effects, and even a few notes from an organ help to classify Frameshift as an awesome album both in musical proportions, but also an album which will get the listener to look inward and journey down the dark rock road of good and evil.
Read full story at http://thecelebritycafe.com/cd/full_review/11186.html
Dutch review
Read full story at http://www.progwereld.org/cd-recensies/frameshift2.htm
German Review
Read full story at http://www.bloodchamber.de/cd/f/1881/
German Review
Read full story at http://www.musicoutlook.de/index.php?id=56&backPID=56&tt_news=1755
German Review
Read full story at http://metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=5464
German Review
Read full story at http://www.heavyhardes.de/review-1526.html
German Review
Read full story at http://www.metal-inside.de/frame.php?url=http://www.metal-inside.de/dyn/review.jsp?id=5546
German Review
Read full story at http://www.musicoutlook.de/index.php?id=56&backPID=56&tt_news=1755
...To Skid Row fans who are waiting to see if the original Skid Row line up will join the long line of recent years’ reunited Hard Rock bands –- or while others are just waiting for another Sebastian Bach solo album, An Absence Of Empathy is superb company to share the wait. However, it is not Sebastian Bach alone that should draw attention towards this album. The compositions would bear a lesser singer, and some of the tracks would even deserve some attention as instrumentals. The lyrics, however, carry a story concept about different individuals facing different kinds of violence. Violence -- an ever-present theme, it seems...
Read full story at http://www.metalexpressradio.com/menu.php?main=reviews&id=1162
...The record really invokes the spirit of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Dream Theater) and One (Neal Morse), with a little bit of Chroma Key/OSI experimentation present really putting diversity within the musical splendor and melodic insanity that really has Pauly and Bach (along with drummer Eddie Marvin) pushing the envelope for such notable ear candy. Henning Pauly is pure fucking genius, making Frameshift a force to be reckoned with.
Read full story at http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=1525
...Based on a concept by ProgRock Records honcho Shawn Gordon, An Absence of Empathy acknowledges that violence is inherent in all human beings and explores the factors that determine why and how individuals let violence manifest itself within them. It’s dark and compelling stuff. But while such lyrics as “Me and you alone now/Are you frightened are you scared/Let my little toy show you how/To scream so loud no one can hear” take a bite out of your imagination, the music is unexpectedly exuberant. Granted, this is an aggressive album that’s not for the weak of heart or mind, but the arena rock thrill of “Just One More,” which takes listeners into the mind of a serial killer, and the progressive-metal grandiosity of its counterpart, the nine-minute “I Killed You,” which tells the tale of a stable person pushed over the edge, come off as, um, fun songs masked by disturbing undercurrents. “This Is Gonna Hurt,” in which the song’s main character tortures a victim, hypnotizes with a bludgeoning rhythm section, and “When I Look Into My Eyes” allows the torturer to examine his conscience to engrossing industrial-metal beats. Other themes include war (the sleaze-metal anthem “Push the Button” and the tribal “Blade”), school violence (the alt-metal racket of “Miseducation” and the mid-tempo rock of “Outcast”), rape (“In An Empty Room,” a heart-rending saga of shame and one of the album’s two ballads, and the manic “How Long Can I Resist,” about a man trying to resist the urge to violate a woman). An Absence of Empathy closes with an element of hope with “What Kind of An Animal,” in which the song’s protagonist realizes that the children of today are either the peacemakers or the killers of tomorrow: “The answer’s somewhere on this globe/It’s not in politics/Religion cannot fix/Should we turn towards our young.”..
Read full story at http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=2422
...After James Labrie's singing on the first Frameshift CD, Pauly wanted someone with a rough, almost 'dirty' delivery, the exact antithesis to Labrie's schooled, clean style. The two names that immediately cropped up were Devin Townsend and Bach. Townsend was busy, and Henning found Bach to be an agreeable, professional performer with an excellent work ethic. So with Bach singing and Eddie Marvin drumming and Pauly doing literally everything else including engineering and mixing you'd expect this to sound like one of those typical one-man-band efforts. But it doesn't. This music is easily in the same league as progressive metal's premier bands - in fact parts of "When I Look Into My Eyes" could have come from a Dream Theater CD. And make no mistake - this aint prog - this is progressive Metal - with a capital 'M'...
Read full story at http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=2422
...The stand out track for me is "When I Look Into My Eyes". To me it has the most progressive feel out of the whole album. But to get the full concept, this is a album that should be listened to several times from start to finish before making any critisizms, good or bad. Fan's of prog metal, heavy metal and harder edged prog will rejoice with the latest Frameshift release. I can't wait for the next one!
Read full story at http://www.geocities.com/prognaut/reviews/frameshift2.html
...Beginning this review with mentioning Sebastian Bach is not that fair to the main creator of this concept cd: Henning Pauly. He plays, with the exclusion of the drums, all instruments on this cd. Matt Cash and Adam Evers have written a major part of the lyrics and all three of them came up the melodies. But the presence of Bach gives this cd colossal extra class! James LaBrie (Dream Theater) was the vocalist on the previous cd of Frameshift, but because he could not find the time, Sebastian Bach was asked to do the singing. And to be honest: the raw, emotional voice of Sebastian Bach suits the principal theme of this cd perfectly. The subject of this cd is violence, human violence. "It is ever-present and, in varying degrees, ingrained in all of us. Violence is inherent to our nature, but the question is, what factors determine who lets is show through and how does it show itself?" says Pauly. 'An Absence of Empathy' takes you into the psyche of several different people who are either experiencing or acting out violence. Each form of violence is dealt with in two songs, each one shedding light on a different point view of the scenario. For example, one subject is about violence in schools: one song ('Miseducation') deals with a teacher using psychological violence towards his students, of which some of them then rebel, while 'Outcast' is about a school shooting...
Read full story at http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=5651&lang=en
...The challenge of most prog-metal is to avoid a simple barrage of sound and inject some melody. Well Frameshift’s An Absence of Empathy certainly has no shortage of the barrage of sound but thankfully there are many melodic moments as well. Songs such as “In an Empty Room” turn out to be standouts when juxtaposed among the louder compositions. I also particularly liked a couple of the tracks where Pauly uses a real dirty analog synth sound. Listen to the opening strains of track two “Just once More” to see what I mean. There are also some excellent orchestral moments such as the nine-minute track “Blade.” So while much of the album is heavier than what I normally listen to, there is much to appreciate here for a wide range of prog fans. Just wait for the right frame of mind and Frameshift will fill handily fill the bill. An Absence of Empathy is a worthy follow-up is so many ways.
Read full story at http://www.progressiveears.com/asp/reviews.asp?albumID=3193
...The brutal visions are the bulk of An Absence Of Empathy; each song has a thematic counterpart where the dreamer takes on a variety of personalities. Rape, torture, murder, war and school shootings are viewed from different angles, mostly that of the actors and the ones acted upon.
If you think by now that this is pretentious and can only translate into much too brainy music, you are wrong. Firstly, there is no blame-laying and finger-pointing to ram opinions down your throat; the lyrics are of the straightforward kind (even the f-word pops up – gosh!) and devoid of metaphorical airs and graces that normally conceal or embellish things. Secondly, the album will function as a whole even if you want to blank out the storyline; the absence of leitmotifs grants that each song stands on its own...
Read full story at http://www.lotfp.com/ReviewFrameshift.htm
Italian review
Read full story at http://www.arlequins.it/pagine/articoli/alfa/corpo.asp?iniz=F&fine=G&ch=2834
...Based on a concept by ProgRock Records honcho Shawn Gordon, An Absence of Empathy acknowledges that violence is inherent in all human beings and explores the factors that determine why and how individuals let violence manifest itself within them. It’s dark and compelling stuff. But while such lyrics as “Me and you alone now/Are you frightened are you scared/Let my little toy show you how/To scream so loud no one can hear” take a bite out of your imagination, the music is unexpectedly exuberant. Granted, this is an aggressive album that’s not for the weak of heart or mind, but the arena rock thrill of “Just One More,” which takes listeners into the mind of a serial killer, and the progressive-metal grandiosity of its counterpart, the nine-minute “I Killed You,” which tells the tale of a stable person pushed over the edge, come off as, um, fun songs masked by disturbing undercurrents...
Read full story at http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=2422
Interview with Sebastian and Henning
Read full story at http://www.bravewords.com/features.html?id=1000365
... Bach's vocal talents shine like never before as his shattering screams and soulful voice throw the listener back and forth on an emotional rollercoaster through the concept of violence that was chosen for his Frameshift debut. Bach is at his best with this release with possibly his strongest vocals ever. It's nice to see him let loose and carry himself to the next level. This album is strongly recommended to everyone who is a fan of heavy music, progressive rock, and fans of the straight forward hard rock of Bach's past...
Read full story at http://www.seasonswilted.com/frameshift.htm
French review
Read full story at http://www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=828
Interview with Henning Pauly
Read full story at http://www.progressiveworld.net/paulyh4interv.html
German review
Read full story at http://www.sonny1968.de/reviews/2005/reviews0405.htm#Frameshift
..The album's centrepieces are the two 9-minute monster tracks "I Killed You" with its ever-present changes of tempo and melody, going from ballad-like passages to experimental stuff to unbelievably complex harmonies that put Bach's brutal screams under the spotlight. Analog keys and fantastic synth solos permeat the song that are eventually complemented by a terrific guitar run that gives me goosebumps every time. "Blade", the other long number, is the hidden gem of the album. I thought it an average track after the first couple of listens, but now, I consider it one of the best on the album. It's a huge, epic track with masterfully crafted symphonic touches that evoke the movie Braveheart for some reason, and contains a killer Barbarian choir consisting of Bach himself, Henning Pauly, Matt Cash, Adam Evers and Jody Asworth from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Not only does the choir lay down fantastic harmonies, but the chorus of this track is quite possibly the most beautiful and haunting vocal melody Bach has ever sung. Hearing that "In the end they may take all I love away, but not today!" line will send shivers down many a listener's spine. What a fantastic melody, what a fantastic song, what a fantastic vocal performance!..
Read full story at http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=2422
Italian review
Read full story at http://www.hmp.it/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=4394
German review
Read full story at http://www.wallsoffire.de/Reviews/show_review.php3?kritik_id=5404
...As for the music, the work is sometimes hard rock in the Skid Row vein ("Just One More"), sometimes more calm (like the wonderful ballad "In An Empty Room") or sometimes highly dramatic ("When I Look Into My Eyes"). The disk is quite varied, strongly produced and has high-quality cohesion. It can be defined as a mix of hard rock and progressive with a lot of programming and sound experiments
Even if the album is very different from anything Pauly has done previously, it's very easy discovering his touch and style in the guitar playing, strings and keys arrangements...
Read full story at http://www.progressiveworld.net/frameshift6.html
Dutch review
Read full story at http://www.fileunder.nl/archives/2005/05/frameshift_an_a.php
Italian review
Read full story at http://www.antenna2.it/radio/rockinvasion.htm
French review
Read full story at http://www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=796
...This near seventy four minute album contains twelve tracks, which make the story unfold during the given time length, and has a Dream Theater feel to it, both in style and lyrics. Henning himself plays all the instruments except the drums which are played by Eddie Marvin who appeared on the Chain album too. So all the guitars, keys, bass, banjo and piano are performed in a manner in which you would think would be close to the Chain style, but this is more of a Rock style. From the opening radio switching station similar to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here on the first track Human Grain, sets the scene and scope of the album. The ballad type I Killed You clocks in at a plentiful nine minutes, and is for me the album's highlight. Sebastian Bach's voice flows on this track, and further on track seven In An Empty Room which is another ballad type song, which Henning's rising guitar solo gives the song a nice feel. The banjo is heard on this track, and with the Gangland vocals from a host of people including Micheal Sadler make this song a important piece of the story...
Read full story at http://www.hairlessheartherald.co.uk/frameshift_-_an_absence_of_empathy.htm
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To make purchasing even easier, we've implemented a method of discounting to save you even more money.
The discounts are based on number of products purchased in a single purchasing session.
The discounts break down as shown in the table below.
All shipments will include a $1.75 handling charge.
| Items |
Discount |
| 3 - 4 |
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| 5 - 6 |
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| 7 - 9 |
15% |
| 10 or more |
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