Drum Dynasty’s Time Machine LP

Drum Dynasty’s Time Machine is a dark pulsing journey through space. Combining the storytelling of classical music with the power of a Sci-Fi movie score, every track on this album will propel you through the universe effortlessly. This is the third installment in Bruce Burgess’ Drum Dynasty project, featuring ambient soundscapes created by Michael Carrol, and produced by Cyrus Rhodes; who is in another band (Seven Against Thebes) with Burgess, based out of Seattle. 

MORE ON DRUMMER BRUCE BURGESS: https://www.moderndrummer.com/2008/08/bruce-burgess/

Starting with that classic rocket lift off feeling in Countdown, the album immediately throws you into a space adventure. It began to pick up for me with Lightspeed, a track that will make you feel like you’re in a little tin can flying through the universe, on the fast course for a strange encounter. The percussion rattles you as the music picks up, really setting the stage for the rest of the album. 

Aside from the cool outer space vibe, the album is also, obviously, very focused on drum d and percussion. Bruce Burgess explains in a post for Modern Drummer magazine that he likes creating a dialogue between the percussive instruments, a secret conversation that “you really have to hear to understand.” While the ambient noises give you the feel of space, it is the drums that drive the plot of the album. They act as the lyrics, grabbing your attention and showing you where you are in the trip, and what danger you might be facing. 

Another song on the album that really stood out was Seven Sisters, the gentle trickle of idiophonic notes evoke this feeling of tiptoeing through a smattering of stars. It showcased a different kind of percussive sound, something gentle and almost comforting. It is a whimsical injection into an album that overall feels more serious; especially as it is sandwiched between two tracks titled Darkmatter and Zero Gravity. 

The title track, Time Machine, mixes sinister ambient hums with all the pounding excitement of a brilliant yet methodical drum performance. The machine is on, it’s working, and you are now whirling through time, being flung far in a flurry of rhythm. The song pulls you along, suspended in the anxiety of not knowing your fate or where you will land, until you burst through into the epic booming notes of Event Horizon. 

While this kind of music might not be for everyone, it is still an album worth noting. The way Burgess played with sounds to create an entire story is fascinating and brilliant and has somehow raised the bar when compared to a lot of other ambient music that is currently around. Every song rolls perfectly into the next one; keeping you captivated, needing to know how the story ends. It’s an epic journey which I recommend you buy a ticket for.

By Julia Albano, posted by Zachary Rush