Tantric - Mercury Retrograde

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From Boston, M.A. post-grunge rockers TANTRIC have released their 7th album, "Mercury Retrograde" via Pavement Music on October 5th, 2018. For those who don't know TANTRIC is/was DAYS OF THE NEW minus Travis Meeks. The only sound difference was that TANTRIC added electric guitars to the mix. Their debut album was great. But honestly, after the second album, I didn't keep up and never heard anything about them.

Seeing "Mercury Retrograde" hit my inbox was a slight surprise. The more I listen, I kinda wondered when they changed so drastically and why. Well, all the DAYS OF THE NEW guys are gone. The singer is the only original member. A revolving door of other musicians have been in TANTRIC since. Also, my Arizona hometown boy Tommy Gibbons filled in on guitar with them for a little bit in 2015. So while TANTRIC may have escaped my map, their re-entry is well worth it. When the first track, "Angry", began I almost thought I had the wrong band. Until the trademark vocals kicked in. Nice heavy intro, a far cry from the acoustics, this was dare I say it, heavy, which sparked my interest in seconds.

The albums shining moment is "Tether". It starts out melodically seeming as to head in some sad direction. Nah, it actually doesn't. The progression is actually a very "get up off the ground" type of build. The chorus line picks up and has a great tempo. Rock anthem quality I could see when its played live the audience pounding fists in the air, lunging their body back and forth. I felt it all throughout me and couldn't help but start stomping my foot, waving my head back and forth, pounding on my desk. If "Mercury Retrograde" gets its chance, "Tether" is going to be the hit single.

"Letting go" is the first single released from the album, it's ok. I only mean this due to that it's trying too hard to duplicate their meal ticket "Breakdown". If you listen to the verse it really doesn't sound too far from it. The chorus, however, packs a punch with its meaning. The lyrics are easily relatable :

"So if I look in your eyes
And then I see all the lies you've told
There's consequence for evidence control
You fooled me with your disguise
And all the thousands of times you've shown
A part of you in fear of letting go"

"Mercury Retrograde" overall boasts more slower paced songs, a surefire to win over the starstruck female fans. Tracks like "Angry", "Tether" and "Letting Go" have enough punch to satisfy the post-grunge, hard rock fans. The roots of TANTRIC, I'm sorry, are seeded in DAYS OF THE NEW. Despite the lineup changes they still hold true to making acoustic or even clean electric guitars sound powerful. The new members have kept the TANTRIC sound current and modern. More rock and less country-ish vocals are layered to give a broader fuller effect on chorus lines. The only thing missing is the vocal harmonies. There are some but they are sparse.

I can't say I have any desire to go back and listen to what I've missed with TANTRIC, but I due to the release of "Mercury Retrograde" I will be more proactive to see what their future holds.

Songwriting: 8
Originality: 9
Memorability: 9
Production: 7