Newly formed Emissary Echo releases their debut album, Erasing the Negatives bringing back early 2000’s rock.

You always find the best things buried, like a diamond in the rough per se. Emissary Echo is just that, a rising band from Bismarck, North Dakota. Their musical foundation is concrete and they have the potential to grow and solidify their music. Their debut album Erasing The Negatives is set to release January 10 on Amazon and iTunes.

Unfortunately, five days before their album release, the band posted to their Facebook page vocalist Korey Lee had left the band.

“This past Monday January 5th we received the phone call all bands do not want to have to face. We learned that due to reasons beyond his or our control our singer Korey Lee made the decision to leave the group. As you can imagine this could not have come at a worse time for us. We are committed to still playing the next three CD release shows and our bassist Mark has stepped forward to perform vocal duties so they can still go forward as planned…”

However, they are seeking a new vocalist and can be contacted through their Facebook page and Emissaryecho@gmail.com. While it’s not the ideal way to launch a record, Emissary Echo continues on with Preston McKay (rhythm guitar), Justin “Steen” Kraft (lead guitar), Mark Kuntz (bass), and Cory Zimmer (drums).

Their album Erasing the Negatives was recorded in their personal studio and was mixed by Sam Hughes (Buried as Thieves). The title speaks for itself, about battling your inner demons and erasing the negatives within and around you.

The reason this album speaks and reciprocates so well is the sound. The simple melodies takes the listener through an emotional experience. Reminiscent of the early albums from Trapt and Adema, Erasing the Negatives is bringing back the feel from the early days of real alternative rock.

EmissaryEcho-Promo

“Pushed Down” opens the record at full force. The chorus is beautifully catchy and will sound great live. The break is hammered down on guitar, bass, and drums, and then eases off into verse two. Overall, a good opening track.

“Run Away” is their first single off the record, radio friendly and catchy, the rhythm from drummer Cory Zimmer keeps the track progressing. The beginning has a syncopated tempo, it catches you off guard but then brings to a recognizable tempo there after. One thing about this track is how clearly you can hear each contribution from the musicians, important and yet unique.

“Infected” is darker, but also fun at the same time. After the upbeat opening, the first verse brings the tempo to almost a complete stance. The bridge builds into this brilliant chorus shouting “Hey! Hey! Hey!” and gets any listener going.

“Frail” is the track that begins to ascent to the climax of the record. It’s a track anyone can relate to, which is important because most of us have been in a position where we have felt frail. It’s fluid, one of those sit back and think tracks.

“Vengeance” is the full scale of music, from top to bottom. The creativeness of this track is refreshing. It’s not predictable, and the listener doesn’t know where it’s going. But, after a few spins of the track, it becomes more of an anthem. The growling vocals blend well with the grinding notes in the chorus.

“Face Me” is full on alternative rock track. The vocals are a little too close to vocalist Chris Brown (Trapt), and you have to double-check what band you’re listening to. The lyrical content is inspiring… “break me, give me closure, break me, give me your word, so I can forget this.”

“Erased” begins with a deep opening, and truly defines this band. They speak through their music and force the listener to feel. In today’s popular music, there are songs that make you feel, but the musician rarely makes the connection with its audience. This track makes that connection. A staccato guitar riff accentuates the verses, which is transitioned to the legato chorus, via the crafty cymbal work. You feel apart of this song.

“Defend” is so simple and yet so intricate. The tempo could be slightly faster on this track, only because the theme is defensive. The last half of the track brings out Emissary Echo’s acoustic side with a break down, reinforcing the band’s talent.

“Let Go” is the last track on this album brings the listeners journey to a close. It’s uplifting and inspiring and, like “Defend” showcases the acoustic side throughout the song. It brings the album to a full completion and leaves you wanting more.

Overall, the album far exceeds anything a typical year-old band would release. It’s well put together and definitely can hang with the bigger guys in the rock industry. There are high hopes for Emissary Echo. It’ll be exciting to see what their future holds. “Can you feel, can you hear me?”

Emissary Echo will be holding their First Annual Echofest in their hometown at the Ramada Bismark Hotel, doors open at 3:30pm, featuring, Static Control, Danger Casanova, Hangmans Joke, ND22, Finest Line Divides, The Last Echo, Money Stackz, Young Therobreds, and The Rick & Gibby Show. Check their website for more details.

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About The Author

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona now in Texas, with a B.A. in Journalism, Shannon has experience with behind the scenes and on stage. Her background in music stems from her introduction to Heavy Metal at a young age. Growing up around the sounds of Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Megadeth, Aerosmith, and Tool, she acquired an obsession for information on these bands and the stories they had to tell. Not only that, Shannon found an outlet instrumentally playing flute from third grade into college, and developed vocally through private lessons. She firmly believes Heavy Metal is a positive outlet and has contributed to her success as a writer and person.