cannabisnews.com: More To Sea of Green Than Meets The Eye 





More To Sea of Green Than Meets The Eye 
Posted by CN Staff on June 19, 2003 at 08:48:39 PT
By The Canadian Press
Source: Canadian Press 
Toronto -- Just in time for the summer holidays, Toronto-based rock trio Sea of Green has released an aptly titled album called Chemical Vacation. But while the band's allusions to narcotically enhanced lifestyles are evident throughout the album's artwork and lyrics, bassist Eric Kuthe insists there's more to it than meets the eye. "The album's not all about getting high," Kuthe says from behind orange-tinted shades, his thick arms bristling with tattoos. 
"We do have the chemical compound structures for certain narcotics on the front cover, but it also relates to the chemicals that are released in your body through pain, endorphins, adrenaline. When you have an orgasm, what grouping of chemicals is released in your body and your brain to create that feeling?" Since Sea of Green's last album in 2001, Time to Fly, which moved a respectable 10,000 units worldwide on indie label The Music Cartel, the band has added new drummer Matt Dowd, who has helped them shift musical gears from straight-on stoner rock to a more polished and varied hard rock sound. "We didn't want to repeat ourselves," Kuthe says. "It would have been too easy for me to write a song about floating on a cloud of smoke on a bong toke into the sun." "This album to us is about emotions. When you come home and you have your six beers, it changes your state of mind. So this whole thing is about the chemicals and situations of life pertaining to emotions." The band's lyrics are more personal and gritty now -- a definite progression from Time to Fly's drug-fuelled party anthems. The riffs are still brontosaurus-heavy but the band shows a newfound knack for catchy hooks this time around, with wah-drenched guitar solos weaving their way through the songs like weeds gone wild. There are even a few subtle strains of cello in places. Vocalist/guitarist Travis Cardinal channels the ghost of Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley on more than one occasion, but his soaring voice asserts its own identity for the most part, a melodic melange of alt-rock and hard-rock stylings. Standout tracks on Chemical Vacation include the hammering riffage of Ashes to Dust, the trippy plaintiveness of Cut Up Inside, and the poppy optimism of Life. Longtime fans will gleefully note that Sea of Green has stayed true to its roots -- the band is named after a hydroponic grow system -- with a hippie-flavoured ditty called Unite that pleads for the legalization of marijuana. "We're a very pro-pot band," Kuthe says. "I want Unite to be the pro-pot decriminalization anthem of the world. Legalization would be the ultimate dream." Such a laid-back attitude contributes to Sea of Green's upbeat outlook on life -- an anti-angst band for a music scene cluttered with enraged and cliched nu-metal rants. "I think it's a great summer album," says Cardinal, who looks eerily like Jesus with his shoulder-length hair and Christ-like facial fuzz. "It's positive, it's happy. After this long, cold winter we've had, this album is a breath of fresh air. Hopefully it'll take your mind off all the bad karma in the world right now. We just want to bring back the positivity to rock." Sea of Green is now eager to rise to a higher level -- pun intended -- by securing a major recording deal. They've toured the club circuit in parts of Canada, the United States and Britain, but crave a shot at bigger venues. The band has attracted enough interest to be flown down recently to Los Angeles by a major label to play a showcase for music industry reps. "It went very well but you never know what's going to happen because that's the nature of the music business," Kuthe says. "But I think the whole thing was very positive." Despite the band's cautious steps away from stoner rock and toward the mainstream, they still consider chemical inspiration an important part of the creative process. "Sometimes when you're debauched you write some of your best lyrics because you're honest," Cardinal says. "How much more honest are you when you're wasted? Pretty damn honest." "The body is a chemistry lab," Kuthe adds. "And all I can say is: have fun." Source: Canadian Press Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 Copyright: 2003 The Canadian PressSea of Green Rockshttp://www.seaofgreenrocks.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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