The Convocation Of... - Pyramid Technology

Label: Tiger Style
Year: 2001

Coming out from under their mid-nineties' emo cable knit sweaters to don sleeveless Van Halen t-shirts (but leaving the glasses on...let's not get too crazy here) in order to get their proverbial ya-ya's out, The Convocation Of... gets big and rocking on this, their final(?) full length record.
Tonie Joy is playing guitar here, so if you're a fan of the snaking riffs of Universal Order Of Armageddon or The Great Unraveling, then you'll no doubt find much to chew on. But, were those bands were tightly wound balls of energy, The Convocation Of... swings a bit more from left to right, and don't shy away from a explosive power chord chorus. They get down to it, is what I mean. Yes, sure, nobody is going to mistake them for Nirvana or anything it's not THAT kind of "big rock chorus", but the point is, Tonie Joy lets loose and the band pounds out a wide open groove behind him. Smart person rock music.
Sidebar (and the opposite of smart): when was the last time you shot gunned a beer (with your car keys)? Cause I did it last night at the age of 41 and found it perfectly acceptable, even though it led to a buddy falling down the back stairs and stepping on a nail (cross your fingers for no tetanus!), and the guise of the Sunday evening get together was "wine and cheese Sunday evening before dinner" (things devolved....or evolved depending on how you look at it...quickly when the wine ran out). Point being, if you haven't taken down a cool one shotgun style in a minute, I recommend it. It's a good bonding experience, just make sure your friends stay off the steps, and your kids are in the house out of view. Party hard at all times.

DL