So, does anyone remember one of my biggest pet peeves about the Christian music industry? Think for a minute... that's right, now it's coming back to you. I hate it when Christian bands imitate Creed. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to... Oh, whoops, that was yesterday's review. My bad. This time around I'm dealing with a band that might have actually gotten away with it.

Big Dismal is a post-grunge, pop/rock sort of band that was recently signed to Wind-Up Records. The band hails from Florida, and their lead singer Eric Durrance was raised in a Southern Baptist home. Sound familiar? So far, it's pretty much identical to Creed's band bio. To make things even more frustrating, Eric has the uncanny capability of sounding exactly like Scott Stapp on many of the band's songs. Just yesterday I claimed that Kutless was a total Creed rip-off, and stylistically I'm sticking with that claim, but vocally, it's possible to tell the difference if you listen carefully. Only the sharpest of ears are going to be able to tell the difference between Stapp and Durrance. Clearly this isn't a good sign.

But there are some key differences that help to pull this band out of the huge sinkhole that they were named after. For one thing, Eric Durrance wasn't brought up being taught that all forms of modern music were evil. He was actually exposed to quite a bit of country music during his childhood, and while Big Dismal's style remains firmly planted in the modern rock realm, several of their songs have a pleasant acoustic underpinning that isn't found in Creed's material. Another difference is that Big Dismal has more of an immediate "hook" value in several of their songs that allows them to come across as less pretentious. Creed tends to spend a lot of their time on vaguely discussing serious, weighty matters dealing with God and man, and of course man's critics. Big Dismal dwells mostly on relationships. Yeah, I know, that ain't very original, but it can be refreshing at times. I don't mean to say Creed is depressing - they're just a little more straight-laced and angst-filled. Honestly, Creed and Big Dismal could swap names, and both would probably come out with a more appropriate moniker.

And then of course there's the biggest difference - or at least a difference that will matter quite a bit to a lot of potential listeners - these guys openly admit to being Christians. The beliefs of Creed's members are often hotly debated, and honestly I think we'd be better off just staying out of their personal lives, but hey, I didn't get a vote. The interesting thing is that this doesn't translate into such obviously "Christian" songs as what Kutless came up with. Given that most of these songs deal with the relationships between human beings, it makes sense that they're not going to force God and Jesus into all of those songs. (Actually, God isn't specifically mentioned anywhere on the album, so technically, you'd think Creed's lyrics have more of a chance of being construed as "Christian".) Personally, I don't mind this approach, because these songs are more about confronting the reality you're faced with and deciding if it's really enough to satisfy you, but admittedly it is a bit odd for an album entitled Believe. So far I haven't seen any heated debates over whether this band is "Christian" enough for a conservative CCM audience. Wind-Up Records has already given us 12 Stones, and they've found reasonable acceptance in the Christian music community, and then of course we blindly assumed Evanescence belonged to us upon the release of their album, only for that to become a bitter debate later on... anyway, Big Dismal is shaping up to be less controversial, but if you wanted to be a legalist, you could raise the same questions here that everyone is raising about Creed.

So is this band good? Well, they must have some chops if I'm enjoying their album despite the obvious Creed similarities. At its most basic level, it passes my "worthwhile album" test. The musicianship, while far from complex, is tight throughout the record. The vocals are actually less grating than Creed's can be sometimes - Durrance doesn't tend to overdo it like Stapp does. The acoustic guitars add a lot of color to the music, the drums are a definite strong link, and there are other playful touches that make the songs distinguishable from one another. Admittedly, the songwriting is rather nominal, but at least I'm not getting too many Christianese catch-phrases shouted at me. They sure could push themselves a lot more on an artistic level, and Durrance would do well to develop a more distinctive vocal style, but at the end of the day, I'd have to say that I enjoy this album more than I enjoy Creed's latest. It's anything but dismal.

Remember (I.O.U.)
And still you're strong when I'm weak, it never seems to fade
I can hear your voice here with me whenever I'm awake...
It's not surprising that the album's most blatant Creed-clone of a song is placed as the album's lead track, and that this one's the first single being pushed to Christian radio. (Oh, that pesky thing called marketing!) From the Tremonti-esque guitar riff that opens the song to its dense, sentimental chorus, this track is typical of what I call the "mid-tempo dirge" that Creed has done time and time again. The impression is just dead-on, except for one small thing - the acoustic guitar gently picking away in the background. I'm guessing Eric Durrance is handling that while Chuck Shea takes care of the brooding riffage. The lyrics remind me quite a bit of Creed's "Stand Here with Me" as well (which is probably the most playful thing they've ever done) - they're actually a sort of homage to Eric's grandmother, who was responsible in a big way for his Christian upbringing, since his parents were often away on the road. Knowing the story behind the song helps me to appreciate it a bit more; otherwise I'd think it was rather average. I can't help but hold Wind-Up in contempt regarding the video, though, in which I've been told a girl appears to be the subject of the song, giving it more of a romantic spin in much the same way Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" was treated. Heaven forbid that a woman over 40 would ever appear in a rock video!

Just the Same
It probably won't make a difference
But they say you get what you give...
The acoustic guitar comes to the forefront in the album's second track, serving as a delightful reminder that we're not about to spend another half an hour in Creed-land. A forceful, almost militant strum drives the song, which seems to be about a man that Eric encountered who was down on his luck and needed some spare change. The subject matter admittedly makes me a little uncomfortable because I've kind of been taught that a lot of people asking you for change are just scamming you in reality, but Eric's attempt to take a few minutes out of his busy life and befriend the guy is admirable. It's a nice counterpoint to the attitude of, "I'm only one man, what difference can I make?" There's still enough electric guitar to plane this song firmly in modern rock territory - I really enjoy the balance between the two guitars here.

Reality
I can feel you running through me
It's in my mind and I'm thinking clearly...
Another quiet, desolate electric guitar intro seems to signal more "borrowing without permission" from Creed (ironic that they're label mates, huh?), but this song quickly redeems itself with a much quicker tempo than you'd expect from the intro. This is a full-force, driving rock song about not accepting the physical reality in front of us as all that there is. There's almost a Matrix-like urgency to it, and I dare say that if this song were remixed, it would fit well on one of that series' soundtracks. There is a vague "you" being addressed who seems to exist above that reality, heightening Eric's awareness that there is more out there, but of course it's all a bit vague. That doesn't hurt the song too much - the strong crunch of the chorus and a little bit of cool harmonic work on the guitar make it the album's most enjoyable rocker.

Hanging On
The sun will rise, and I'll open up my eyes
But it all looks the same as it did yesterday...
The mood flips back to acoustic for this jangly little number, catching the ear immediately with its glittering acoustic-and-drum intro. In some ways, it reminds me of a now defunct Christian band called Human (who also had a song called "I.O.U.", now that I think of it), and in other ways, it also reminds me of the slightly more folk-influenced alternative band Everyday Sunday (who also has a song called "Hanging On" - weird, huh?) This one does seem like the obvious "Christian hit radio" number due to its more relaxed tempo, and it employs a very similar trick to "Just the Same" in its chorus, where the electric and acoustic guitars are doing a dual attack utilizing some strong strum patterns. The lyrics are also fairly lightweight, but nothing about the song annoys me too much.

Run Away
Wake up in the morning
Always rushing around
Trying not to be late again
'Cause it's no time to slow down...
A double hit on the drums kicks-off this fast-paced song about getting away from it all - one which has a good amount of rocking force behind it as well as some cool low-end riffage. Sadly, the lyrics make this one the weakest track on the album, reusing sentiments from "Hanging On" and basically addressing its subject rather generically (except for a line in the first verse that attempts to deal with the repetitiveness of everyday life but comes across sounding rather hypocritical when they criticize the "same old song the radio always plays"). The chorus is also grammatically frustrating when Eric asserts "We only have one life to live, and it's your life, so go on." Wow, we all get to live the same person's life? I'd rather live my own!

Missing You
I know that this feels like the end
Life never seems to let you win
But I'll be back someday...
Here the band manages to do what they do best by utilizing punchy drums, strong vocals, and a fair amount of guitar crunch to create an irresistible pop song. Kicking off with a sweet drum cadence and a slick "Whoooooooo!" from one of the guys in the background, this is one of those songs that will definitely put a smile on your face (if you like rock bands doing unabashed pop songs, anyway). It's one of those "road songs" that the band wrote before they even really experienced life on the road - they knew from the experiences of others before them that it would likely be tough and they'd miss their families, so it's one of those "I'm already missing you, but I'm not even gone" type of songs. I know what that feels like, feeling like you've already lost someone before you've even said goodbye, so I'm really feeling this song despite its sometimes juvenile lyrics ("Everything goes up and down/The world keeps spinning round and round.") The deal is sweetened by the presence of Evanescence's Amy Lee, who contributes a pleasant enough background vocal, even if a full duet would have been even cooler. (Wind-Up is getting smart about having their bands contribute to each other's songs.)

Too Pretty
I never got up the nerve to say to you what I wanted to
If I had a choice, you know that I would turn back the hands of time...
Once again, we have another track that shows off Big Dismal's penchant for creating irresistible pop hooks while still keeping the rock factor high. The bouncy rhythm of this song, augmented by some playful record scratching in the background, make this song an odd sort of collision between late 90's rock and early 90's pop, if that makes any sense. It's like something I'd expect from Everclear in one of their more radio-friendly moods, and the lyrics are actually not too far from something I'd expect on a dejected boy-band ballad. Maybe that sounds really bad to you (it would if I was reading it and hadn't heard it for myself), but I can't help but smile as Eric tries to get up the nerve to put a girl who's too good for him in her place - I've been there before. Some might see this song as a value judgment accusing all outwardly attractive women of being superficial, but don't get your panties in a wad - it's just your typical male angst over wondering if the types of girls you're attracted to you will ever actually be attracted to you.

Gave It All Away
The look in his eyes, broken promises filled with regret
Now you've learned to be strong
You'll never get back now what you lost...
This one's probably the darkest of the album's relationship songs - it opens softly enough with a gentle roll of the cymbals and a programmed beat underpinning Eric's confessional verses, but the programming soon gives way to more solid drum work (Jeff Chomin knows how to give these songs the right amount of oomph when it's called for) and a dark chorus about the consequences of bad choices - specifically in the realm of sexuality. This song sounded rather harsh to me at first, because I thought Eric was lecturing a girl who had been coerced into giving up her virginity, telling her how there was no second chance and she would regret it for the rest of her life - but he's actually referring to an incident that occurs in his own life, so I guess it's OK if he's talking tough to himself. The line "You should have thought of that before you laid down" has a definite amount of bite to it in that context. The gentle thump of the programmed drums offers a very subtle mood to the verses here, like a heartbeat fading away before the real drums kick in for the chorus.

Running Through My Mind
For some it's play, many choose to walk away
From the demons pulling you in
Blinded by the light you can't defend...
This one's another experiment that mixes the band's heavier rock tendencies with the playful record-scratching sort of stuff (and some listeners have complained that the latter really doesn't fit in) - it's not as poppy as "Too Pretty", but more of a straight-head guitar attack instead. Eric is at his most ragged here vocally, once again coming very close to Scott Stapp's throat-shredding growl as he belts out the verses. (Still doesn't annoy me as much as it did on Creed's last record.) There's almost an apocalyptic tone to this one - Eric is asking himself honest questions about a difficult future ahead and whether he can survive emotionally after the loss of his innocence. At least, I think of this song in that frame of reference due to the song before it. I suppose the Creed-like tendencies are strong here, though it's not as immediately noticeable just because the tempo is so upbeat.

Losing You
Your persuasion has lead me here
The lies you told me were sincere...
The album closes with another mid-tempo number that offers a painful but ultimately healthy resolution. I really like the progression of the last five songs on the album, since they seem to detail a relationship going sour and two people realizing they're going to have to let go of each other in order for their wounds to heal. The consequences of Eric's actions seem very real when he sings "So I'll sleep alone, even if I know it's hard to watch you go." He's considered his options and faced the reality that some things just aren't meant to last, and a definite ray of hope shines into the song when he encourages her, "Fly away, don't be afraid/Never forget the memories that we made". A simple sentiment on the surface, but one that deserves to be understood more deeply, since I think a lot of younger folks getting into relationships for the first time can easily be persuaded to think that this if it was God's will for them to get together, it must be God's will for them to stick together come hell or high water. It's good for Big Dismal to end on a slightly unsettling note like this and at the same time give us hope that there's more to be found beyond the loss of someone you genuinely loved.

Big Dismal has a decent ability to take a well-worn genre and add a little more flavor to it. They play with the whole post-grunge thing, sometimes breaking the rules a little, stretching it into catchy pop songs and deeper songs about difficult life experiences that, with a little more development in the songwriting area, could speak poignantly to younger listeners especially. As it is now, they're just plain fun while not pretending that everything's all bright and happy - a good balance for a young band being marketed to a Christian audience. I'm hoping that as time goes by, they'll rid themselves of the need to ape Creed ( especially vocally) and turn towards a more distinctive sound, but this ain't a bad start. Sure, some of my complaints about Kutless apply here - and they should be even more accountable to be aware of Creed's sound and not mimic it too much, because they are on the same label and you'd think someone in the production line would've thrown up a red flag. But maybe Wind-Up doesn't care, and if the Christian market wants bands that sound like Creed, they'll provide 'em with one. It's still a pet peeve of mine, but at least there's a reasonable amount of variety to be found in this particular band.

Hey, I have a great idea... what if Wind-Up singed a female-fronted Christian band that sounded like Evanescence, and got Eric Durrance to sing a duet vocal on the group's lead single? Then Christian radio would think it was Evanescence doing a good clean "Christian" song with the guy from Creed, and there would be much rejoicing in the land of CCM!

...Or not.

ALBUM WORTH:
Remember (I.O.U.) $1
Just the Same $1
Reality $2
Hanging On $1.50
Run Away $.50
Missing You $2
Too Pretty $2
Gave It All Away $1.50
Running Through My Mind $1.50
Losing You $1.50
TOTAL: $14.50

Band Members:
Eric Durrance: Vocals, guitar
Chuck Shea: Guitar
Gary Sobel: Bass
Jeff Chomin: Drums

Website: http://www.bigdismal.com

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving