Although not a narrative concept album, a cohesive theme of self-awareness and growth is woven throughout the album’s eight tracks. This journey started in early 2010 after original singer Bill Moore left the band to become a college professor. Final Gravity was offered a dream gig opening for progressive metal legends Fates Warning but nearly had to turn it down. Thankfully, Melissa Jane flew in from Australia, rehearsed with the band for three days and had her debut as new lead singer.  Guitarist Mike Clark was sufficiently inspired by the experience to write Surviving Humanity’s opening track “New Day”.

 

The album moves from an inspiring opening to the cautionary tale presented in “Sincerely Satan”. The song addresses the challenges and temptations in life’s journey. Many people want to take the fast track to the top, but when you make a deal with the devil it generally doesn’t end well.

 

The next stop on the journey is the dark and musically varied “Hollow Days”. Bassist Charles Mumford’s lyrics illustrate the need to break out of isolation and connect with each other and the world around us.

 

Such realizations can lead to “Bleeding Sadness” (the album’s fourth track). Taking a different approach than any previous Final Gravity song, it begins with a naked piano and vocal track and only kicks in with drums, bass and guitar after the listener is thoroughly steeped in lyrics Melissa originally wrote as a poem.

 

Next up is “Leaving”. The title says it all. We have acknowledged our demons. We are ready to move on. We are ready to leave the past behind. Side note: John Chominsky’s drum sound was the result of recording in his old house just before he moved on from it. He placed microphones in various empty rooms to get some huge natural reverb.

 

Surviving Humanity’s first single, “No Love” is a message for our times. The song examines how far we’ve fallen as a society and implores the listener and the world to “learn to find love” as a way to pull ourselves out of the abyss of our own making.

 

“My Eternity” is the inspiring closing track. Learning to find love includes learning to love yourself and what you create and the great joy and fulfillment gained through the illumination  of looking at the past to plan the future.

 

About the band:

Founding members John Chominsky (drums), Mike Clark (guitar), Bill Moore (vocals), and Charles Mumford (bass) released Final Gravity’s eponymous debut album in 2009. New (and current) vocalist Melissa Jane Dichiera joined in 2010 and the new lineup released the four-song EP 4-Pack later that year.

 

Final Gravity can be found on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, Amazon Music, etc. With extensive live experience, the band has shared the stage with such acts as Fates Warning, Iron Butterfly, and Mike’s former guitar teacher Gary Hoey.  Learn more about this genre-spanning progressive / classic / metal rock group on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.