Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.


You are not connected. Please login or register

View previous topic View next topic Go down  Message [Page 1 of 1]

1New project: Fight or Flight Empty New project: Fight or Flight Thu 25 Apr 2013, 15:45

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
Dan Donegan, guitarist for Disturbed, has unveiled his new project, Fight or Flight. Fight or Flight will release their debut album, A Life by Design? on July 23rd via Warner Bros. Records. The first single, “First of the Last” will be hits radio May 21st. You can listen to a sample of it at the bottom of this post.

“During our hiatus from Disturbed, the separation anxiety from the fans came rather quickly,” explains Donegan. He began writing songs on his own, and last year connected with Dan Chandler, frontman for the band Evan’s Blue, about a possible collaboration. The two emailed each other songs back and forth and met in person whenever Chandler was in Donegan’s hometown of Chicago. When they had enough material to record, Donegan turned to his “Disturbed brother of over 20 years,” drummer Mike Wengren and the three entered the studio.

The result is a collection of hypnotic and hard-hitting songs fortified by Donegan’s trademark riffing and Chandler’s melodic sensibility. Ra’s Sean Corcoran on bass and backing vocals, and Jeremy Jayson on guitar and backing vocals complete Fight of Flight’s lineup.

“This is more hard rock,” Donegan affirms. “It’s got edgy moments, but there’s more melody across the board. We had the chance to experiment as well. There are acoustic guitars and some electronics even. It’s different all around.” Of the first single “First of the Last,” he says, “It’s one of the more driving tracks on the record, and it’s got my signature style. Lyrically, it’s more cryptic. Dan and I spent a lot of time discussing conspiracy theories, and those conversations inspired the song.”

Enter the website to hear a snippet of a new song: http://www.revolvermag.com/news/disturbed-guitarist-dan-donegan-and-drummer-mike-wengren-announce-new-side-project-share-snippet-of-new-song.html

Band homepage: http://fightorflightofficial.com/

May 7th 2013: "A Life By Design?" album pre-order with instant download of the single "First of the Last".
Single "First of the Last" available for download.

July 23rd 2013: "A Life By Design?" album release date.

2New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Thu 25 Apr 2013, 16:02

disturbedsikkness

disturbedsikkness
Believer
Damn, you beat me to it!!!

This is exactly what I was looking for. As I've felt David was kind of deteriorating in his abilities, I really wanted to see Dan and Mike - the original brothers - pull something together. And now we have it! Fuck yes!!! SO PSYCHED.

3New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Thu 25 Apr 2013, 17:28

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
They definitely did a job well done with kept this under wraps. Never been a big fan of Evans Blue but let's see what he brought to the table with the boys. Hella excited.

4New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Thu 25 Apr 2013, 19:02

Ravensclaw

Ravensclaw
Administrator
sounds really good i will be watching out for this one

5New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Fri 26 Apr 2013, 13:24

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
While on hiatus from Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum Chicago-based juggernaut Disturbed in 2012, guitarist Dan Donegan started to intensely miss touring and recording. So, he reached out to Evans Blue front man Dan Chandler with an idea.

Donegan didn't approach Fight Or Flight with a concrete plan. Instead, he allowed the music to arrive naturally, and that's exactly why it feels so alive and authentic. There wasn't a big social media reveal. He didn't even tell the record label or his management that he was writing songs. Rather, he picked up a guitar and held nothing back and started his collaboration with Chandler.

"After a few months home, I was going through withdrawals from the road," he laughs. "I actually met Dan Chandler online in 2011. I requested him on Facebook because I'm a fan of Evans Blue. I watched them at Rock on the Range that same year, and he sounded incredible. We had spoken about collaborating in passing that day, but I didn’t think much of it until Disturbed decided to go on a hiatus.”

They began sending each other songs back and forth via email and meeting in person anytime Chandler was in the Chicago area. Chandler had a bunch of unfinished ideas and was looking for an outlet to express those ideas. Donegan said,” We didn’t have a plan for it, we just wanted to write together, there was no discussion of the direction, we just let it happen naturally.” Soon, they had a bulk of material, so Donegan suggested getting his "Disturbed brother of over twenty years," drummer Mike Wengren and record the material properly. That proved to be a no-brainer for the spot behind the kit. Although there’s some trademark things in the way Mike and I play, when you add another writer and new voice with Chandler, it's going to be different." It's got edgy moments, but there's more melody across the board. We had the chance to experiment as well. There are acoustic guitars and some electronics even. Together, they cut fourteen hypnotic and hard-hitting songs fortified by Donegan's trademark riffing, Chandler's melodic sensibility and vocal harmonies and another solid foundation laid by Wengren.

“Still at this point, no one at the label was aware what we were doing, Donegan added. We still weren’t sure what this meant other than we had songs that we were proud of and a new creative direction.” Once the recording process was complete, they found themselves going to their manager and the Record Label for the first time with a finished album. It was at this point that they realized that their creation has come to life and was time to round out the band lineup. They turned to Ra's Sean Corcoran [bass, backing vocals] from the Boston area and Jeremy Jayson [guitar, backing vocals] a well-respected local staple in the Milwaukee music scene. When Donegan was invited by Wengren a few years back to see Jayson’s original unsigned band he knew this kid had something. He left that night thinking if Jeremy never gets his break with this band than he’d keep him in the back of his mind if another band was ever in need. “Little did I know that the band would be us years later”, Donegan laughs. We had met Sean nearly 10 years ago and he stood out to me on what a great player he was. When Donegan started reaching out to a few close friends to ask if they news of any great bass players that could sing, Sean’s name came up again. The call was made and a trip to Boston happened shortly after. “I already knew he had the talent, this was a trip for all of us to hang and be bros. before we would even play together.”

Everything kicks off with the stomping first single, "First of the Last." It's an energetic anthem that's meant to be cranked as loudly as possible. He goes on, "It's one of the more driving tracks on the record, and it's got my signature style. Lyrically, it's more cryptic. Dan and I spent a lot of time discussing conspiracy theories, and those conversations inspired the song."

Elsewhere, there's the heartfelt acoustic ballad "Leaving." The song builds from faint strumming into a powerful chorus paying tribute to troops coming home. "We've always been pro-military," affirms Donegan. "I really like the message. It basically talks about troops returning after war. Those memories stay with them so the song ponders how they come back to normal life after their experiences."

Meanwhile, they plucked the album title (Is Life By Design?) from the first line of the hulking slow burn "A Void." The guitarist continues, "Is life by our own design or is someone else designing our lives for us? That's the question. Do the billionaires and secret societies make the real decisions or do we? Is there a bigger agenda that someone may be laying out the design for your life? It was fun to explore that idea. We wonder that sometimes."

However, regardless of who pulls the strings, everybody has the ability to make certain choices. That idea stands encapsulated in the group's very moniker. "My wife said Fight Or Flight one day, and the phrase jumped out at me," Donegan remembers. "A few days later, I was watching an episode of Dexter, and he said it too! After hearing it twice in one week, it just made sense. I like the meaning behind it. It's the body's response when you're backed into a corner. It's about how you respond when you're threatened. You can cower or stand up and fight." Us, like most musicians also know what it’s like to fight and have to break down walls to try and survive in what could be a very difficult road to travel. But when you have that fight and passion in you, there’s no giving up.

We never backed away from a challenge or obstacle, and Fight Or Flight is a testament to that. "We wanted to do something that would be different enough from Disturbed and make the best effort to keep them separate from each other," Donegan concludes. "You can't worry about pleasing everybody. There were no expectations or rules. We did what we wanted, and this is the outcome. We have the hunger to go out there and prove ourselves again. This isn't a one-time deal. Mike and I have two things in our lives now. This is the next chapter."

6New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 30 Apr 2013, 15:45

dhempskov

dhempskov
Disturbed One
I just heard "First Of The Last" on WJJO 94.1 FM - it's pretty awesome!
http://www42.zippyshare.com/v/89282448/file.html

7New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 30 Apr 2013, 17:01

WickedKnightAlbel

WickedKnightAlbel
Dehumanized
dhempskov wrote:I just heard "First Of The Last" on WJJO 94.1 FM - it's pretty awesome!
http://www42.zippyshare.com/v/89282448/file.html
I've probably listened to it 10 times by now. Love that riff and solo.

8New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 30 Apr 2013, 17:41

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
I don't know man. The reason I've never liked Evans Blue is because the frontman just sounds like he's out of breath the whole time. Same story here. Cool verses, I dig the scream. His choruses just sounds like he ran a half-marathon then decided to track vocals while winded. Of course Dan and Mike's work stands out and the singer just cant keep up. The solo is killer. When the singer finally shutup and all that was left was the bass stomp, Mike's cymbals, and Dan's massive solo all I could think was DISTURBED. Still looking forward to the whole album but I just can't dig the vocals. They need David

9New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 30 Apr 2013, 17:49

WickedKnightAlbel

WickedKnightAlbel
Dehumanized
ShockAndAwe wrote:I don't know man. The reason I've never liked Evans Blue is because the frontman just sounds like he's out of breath the whole time. Same story here. Cool verses, I dig the scream. His choruses just sounds like he ran a half-marathon then decided to track vocals while winded. Of course Dan and Mike's work stands out and the singer just cant keep up. The solo is killer. When the singer finally shutup and all that was left was the bass stomp, Mike's cymbals, and Dan's massive solo all I could think was DISTURBED. Still looking forward to the whole album but I just can't dig the vocals. They need David
You should do what I do and just put Chandler in the back of your head and zone out to Dan and Mike. It sounds so much better that way.

10New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 30 Apr 2013, 17:53

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
Praying for an instumental

11New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Mon 06 May 2013, 20:27

dhempskov

dhempskov
Disturbed One
"A Life By Design?" iTunes Pre-Order

12New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 07 May 2013, 03:20

disturbedsikkness

disturbedsikkness
Believer
I love the shit out of this track. I really do. I don't know what you're talking about with him sounding winded. I think he sounds, for one thing, a lot more dynamic and (most importantly) natural and organic than David - not quite as powerful though. But that's okay because a lot of David's "power" nowadays feels a bit stiff and "programmed" to me. But I hear a lot of potential in this voice (never listened to Evans Blue). He sounds great to me. It's a nice break to hear this instrumental, which clearly has Disturbed DNA, but with fresh vocals. I'm addicted.

13New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Wed 08 May 2013, 01:06

dhempskov

dhempskov
Disturbed One
Album & Single Artworks
New project: Fight or Flight 6d04aa4d2f721d2e02d9f5a8d82df76cNew project: Fight or Flight C8147ca8c285f8da5c0f7ba2aefbf7ea

14New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 04 Jun 2013, 14:47

WickedKnightAlbel

WickedKnightAlbel
Dehumanized

15New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 04 Jun 2013, 16:00

Ravensclaw

Ravensclaw
Administrator
loved the solo but im unsure about this project i dont really like the song it self i hope the rest of the album is good

16New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 09 Jul 2013, 09:01

dhempskov

dhempskov
Disturbed One
Album already leaked
PS. Check out track called "You Refuse" - intro like Disturbed's "Down With The Sickness"

17New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 09 Jul 2013, 13:25

helm

helm
Disturbed One
As always dhempskov, appreciate your fine works :)

18New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Tue 09 Jul 2013, 17:39

GODSERENITY

GODSERENITY
Stupified
I can't find it to download. Help please

19New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Thu 11 Jul 2013, 10:39

Ravensclaw

Ravensclaw
Administrator
pm me i have the link

20New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Fri 12 Jul 2013, 10:51

ShockAndAwe

ShockAndAwe
Asylum
Yeah, I noticed it leaked this morning and came here first to check it's legitimacy.  
Once again - Solid instrumentals and I think the lyrics are cool but I'm just not a fan of Dan's voice.  There's not a whole lot of attack and aggression in his delivery.  Dan does better on the mellower tracks but when he pushes it to sound more metal it doesnt sound natural.  I wouldnt even classify this band as metal.  I'd put them under hard alternative rock.  If the bands Egypt Central and Otherwise had a baby, it would be Fight or Flight.

21New project: Fight or Flight Empty Re: New project: Fight or Flight Sun 21 Jul 2013, 04:57

disturbedsikkness

disturbedsikkness
Believer
The album is pretty cool in some parts, but it's not one of 2013's spectacular releases.  With Black Sabbath releasing 13 and Stone Sour lighting up the world with HOGAB (my two favorite albums so far this year), both Device and Fight or Flight feel a bit lacking in substance to me in comparison.
  Don't even get me wrong, because I'm not saying either is straight shitty.  Thing is, both projects have some incredibly weak songs - Device has an entire middle section that mostly slouches and I haven't listened to Fight or Flight enough to accurately gauge it.

They couldn't afford the kind of unspectacular songwriting that ended up here.  Like it was said, the instrumentals are solid, but that's at best - they're definitely bland and poorly done at the more worse points.  The thing is, the most distinct parts made me think "DISTURBED!!!" - like Dan and Mike slipped a few fills or riffs in that were so Disturbed-like that it was an instant callback.  That's fine, but Fight or Flight should have its own identity.  The face it mostly shows is samey and not spectacular.

The Dan on vocals doesn't help the point.  He takes mostly-unspectacular music and writes cliched-but-still-clever vocal lines into them, and then delivers them in an almost rap performance - very few parts of the album actually sound like "legitimate" singing to me.  It's apparent that he has his strengths but he is not the strongest singer by any measure.  And the thing about his cliched vocal lines that mostly do the job is that even though they're capable, they're still cliches.  These are totally chorus-centered songs.  I never hear any interesting vocal lines or lyrics in the verses, even though the choruses are mostly rocking.  But again, the thing about taking the easy way out with cliched writing is that anybody with any modicum of experience in music can tell you how wishy-washy most of these choruses feel.

I hate to go back to the comparison thing, but Corey Taylor really delivered on some HOGAB songs, blowing me away with both lyrics and delivery.  Couplets like "No pun intended, no punishment / If I offended you, you needed it" are great, especially when preceded with lines like "My mouth is a gun I can shoot; I can show you the truth / And I don't need a reason to lie to you".  If you actually listen to Absolute Zero, you gotta note how ballsy that vocal line sounds, and it's all tied together by the fact that Corey delivers it with an undeniable punch.  And he continues to deliver powerfully throughout all 23 songs - not a weak one, period.

I know direct comparisons aren't really fair, since no two singers are the same, but when the song Leaving is the strongest case you make for Fight or Flight being unique in any way, there's a bit of a problem.  And again, the instrumentals could really just use a lot of work.  They're definitely NOT up to the Disturbed standard, where instruments mostly feel just as important as the vocals.

So it's kind of an ironic year, as both pieces of our band launch what kind of feel like duds.  And even though Device is a bit more inspired, we all know it simply could be more.  Maybe these two pieces really do need each other to be perfectly Disturbed.

Sponsored content


View previous topic View next topic Back to top  Message [Page 1 of 1]

Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum

FacebookTwitterFacebookFacebook

 
  •  

How to make a forum | ©phpBB | Free forum support | Report an abuse | Forumotion.com