Review: Name Taken – The Silent Game

Name Taken - The Silent Game

The welcome voice of bassist/singer Chad Atkinson singing a cappella at the introduction of “The Safety of Routine” gives The Silent Game an undeniably powerful start. Atkinson’s vocals are so confident and adult that it’s hard to believe that he, along with the other members of Name Taken (drummer Bret Meisenbach and guitarists Ryan Edwards and Blake Means), were mere teenagers when they created the EP.

This trend of youthful maturity continues with “For Sunday” in which Edwards and Means shine. Ignoring the uninspired power chord conventions of their scene they chase each other across their respective fretboards forming tightly woven patterns to set the dark mood of lyrics such as ‘And God why do I blame them? / I’m begging you to forgive me.’ During the breakdown the guitar duo alternate riffs from the left speaker to the right culminating with a frenzied message from Chad made all the more urgent by the fast paced rhythm courtesy of Meisenbach. If Chad’s striking vocals in “The Safety of Routine” are the initial draw, the instrumentation on “For Sunday” is what leaves the listener begging for more.

Read More “Name Taken – The Silent Game”

Review: Name Taken – Hold On

Name Taken - Hold On

Everything you thought you knew about this band, their music, and this genre is about to get tossed into the windmill and chopped to shreads. When an album begins with the line, “we will cheat you out of everything .. we will sell you who you are” – there is very little else that is needed to grab you by your throat and push you against the wall. The music beat pulses into your chest, your head expands and contracts with each riff and you can’t help but let your head rock to the music.

Read More “Name Taken – Hold On”