Long Time Divided

For many of us we have been on the search for something both fresh as well as recognizable in today’s music scene. We want something new but that we can relate to in our past, with that being said I was pleasantly surprised to have this album show up in my mailbox for more than one reason alone. I find myself one of those guys that get really excited to find new music that I cling to like a magnet and as soon as I dropped this Album in I was hooked.

Long Time Divided bring us their self titled album at a time when I really needed a good Rock and Roll fix that caught my attention right from the start of “Where I am.” The song features some great lyrics as well as the classic guitar riffs one looks for making this song a great first introduction to the group as we begin to explore the vocals of Beckage and begins to set the pace for the album. “Take Me Away” features some extremely catchy lyrics and the continuation of Costello ripping out riff after riff being equally matched to the rhythm Paul terry engages in. With Bass lines as clean as some of the top musicians Beveridge delivers nicely into the mix as Jason Slick is equally impressive and in tune behind the kit.

As we make our way into “February Farewell” the opening reminds me of the progressive rock group Dream Theater in ways with its own self originality as we get our first real look at the ability of Costello to showcase his love for the piano before going into softer grungy lyrics with peeks of emotionally elevated moments and has become one of my favorite tracks off this album as I feel it really brings into a whole the talent of all members of the group once again showcasing the many talents each offers individually as well as melding together for the components of a great rock group.

Now is the time on most albums that we will get into some filler songs meaning songs that normally may not be as tight as others but needed to complete an album. I say most because that is not the case with these Pittsburgh Pennsylvania rockers. “Lady Luck” and “Badge of Honor” are both major players on this album for any fan of the great grunge vocals or powerful chords that any well written rock song. “Requiem” is song that I related to right off the get go as I heard the dreadful train horns kicking this song off. You see I live in the woods where we have no real neighbors but what we do have is this bloody train track about 20 yards away from the house right next to a rail crossing. With 10-15 trains hauling ass through on a daily basis it took me a moment to realize that the group had decide to mess with me by having this whistle in the beginning of the song. The song in itself is well written and well arranged and once I got passed the train thing I found this to be yet another favorite off of an album that is so hard to choose favorites on.

“Spiders” once again impresses the ears as you start to learn the lyrics and attempt to make your best effort to sing the song “I am unstoppable with the fire comes the pain” is just a sampling of the many verses that have me hooked like a fish on this song. If we were looking for a top 10 radio single this could potentially be it and fits well into what your average radio defines as a top song to be played on radio. Moving on, “Night Runner” would offer the closest you come to a slow song and to me sounds a bit like the blues with a rock edge. I am really feeling this song as it charges you emotionally just listening to the instrumentals that are present through out. You could probably strip this song down to acoustic or just have and instrumental version and I would be just as pleased.

It is mastermind to have the transition of “Night Runner” the slower arrangement into “Black Hole” messing with your mind as you go from soft to hard in what truly is the straight out jam your ass off rock song bringing together all the rhythm, riffs, bass lines, and percussion we have heard throughout with of course Beckage’s vocals right in the center of the mix. As we conclude the album it is safe to note that it comes in two separate parts with the first being Home From Sea which is not a song at all but rather a lead up with the sound of the wind and ocean in the background as Paul Terry begins a rendition of “Requiem” from the Robert Luis Stevenson book Underwoods. “Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: HERE HE LIES WHERE HE LONGED TO BE; HOME IS THE SAILOR, HOME FROM SEA, AND THE HUNTER HOME FROM THE HILL.” The second part would be “Breaker” which is a great conclusion to this solid album that fits into the words perfectly almost as an extension of them. One could look at “Breaker” as a 5:28 second summary of the album as a whole and is one of three songs that feature the guitar work of Dave Watson, the other two being “Where I Am” and “Black Hole” respectively.

FINAL THOUGHT: Very impressiv - Mouth 4 Music

Feel the adrenaline. The chair begins to tremble and your speakers are about to explode. No, it is and it is not an alien invasion. All this is only part of the effect caused by the new album by Pennsylvania native, Long Time Divided.

In their self-titled album, the band brings all the power, all the aggressiveness of a well-defined hard rock group. It has a touch of Metallica, Guns N ‘Roses, and Sixx: Am. Some of this can be seen immediately in the first song “Where I Am,” which takes us one second until the riffs and rhythm guitars impact us like a punch in our stomach; bass lines and drums combine to accelerate our heart and with a harsh, melodic and powerful vocal, it gives us an idea of what is about to come. “Take Me Away” begins in a manner reminiscent of Breaking Benjamin to later turn into something more like Jet Black Stare. Again we have a very aggressive, heavy, and much faster sound with more powerful vocals.

“February Farewell” brings synths and piano elements that give a good epic touch to the song. The effects of “chorus” and “Ohhs” give the impression as if behind it there was a chorus of angels rather than people. The sound is quite relaxing, but still impressive. In the choir, we can appreciate again the vocal power of DJ Beckage. Guitars by Bill Costello and Paul Terry fit the sound and become more dramatic. The guitar solo is mind blowing.

In “Lady Luck” you can hear a very characteristic sound of bands like Velvet Underground and Stone Temple Pilots with a hint of Pearl Jam. It’s fun and catchy, but with the power to destroy your eardrums.

“Night Runner,” on the other hand, with its acoustic guitar, gives a lighter and calmer feel to the song, if such a thing can happen in this band. The double pedal drums, bass lines, and guitar solo between verses and chorus with musical chords fit perfectly and give a touch of darkness to the tune.

Finally, after so many wonderful songs, we find “Breaker,” which we could say is something between what we have been hearing with a touch of “Night Runner.”

In conclusion, no doubt that this is a well-produced album and, as I have been saying, musically powerful. Undoubtedly, Beckage somewhat between each song stands out with his high notes and raspy voice. The only problem is that this is one of those bands that continue to fall somewhat in the same style. You think you will hear something new in the next track, and it happens until they fall into the same thing. Sound isn’t really very dynamic and it turns slowly more monotonous, and unfortunately this makes the album, in the end, a bit boring.



Rating: 4/5 - Vents Magazine

The X staffers have rounded up the year in music with their Top Ten Albums of 2012! Who has the best list?

(Tim Benz's List)

1) Foxxy Shazam - The Church of Rock and Roll
2) Jack White - Blunderbuss
3) Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day
4) Only Flesh - From the Gutter to the Grave
5) AC/DC - Live at River Plate
6) The Dirty Heads - Cabin by the Sea
7) Soundgarden - King Animal
8) Mumford and Sons - Babel
9) Lamb of God - Resolution
10) Long Time Divided - Long Time Divided - 105.9 The X (www.wxdx.com)

After opening for such bands as Fuel, Soulfly, and Static-X, this hard rock quintet from Pittsburgh, PA (U.S.A.) is ready to head out in support of their self-titled, debut album, which releases worldwide on November 10th.

For fans of: Stone Sour and Three Days Grace - Front Magazine

Long Time Divided
Long Time Divided
(Self-released)

Debut release from the local five-piece. Hard rock with a metal edge; it's clear that these guys worship at the altar of Metallica, but there are also hints of grunge and alt-rock in there (and even a piano-driven ballad). There are nods to the literary, too (a spoken-word intro is lifted from Robert Louis Stevenson), making it a well-rounded effort. No reason a track or two shouldn't end up on hard-rock radio.

LONG TIME DIVIDED CD RELEASE. 10 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Hard Rock Café, 230 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square. $10-12. 412-481-7625 or www.hardrock.com - Pittsburgh City Paper

Long Time Divided
Long Time Divided
(Self-released)

Debut release from the local five-piece. Hard rock with a metal edge; it's clear that these guys worship at the altar of Metallica, but there are also hints of grunge and alt-rock in there (and even a piano-driven ballad). There are nods to the literary, too (a spoken-word intro is lifted from Robert Louis Stevenson), making it a well-rounded effort. No reason a track or two shouldn't end up on hard-rock radio.

LONG TIME DIVIDED CD RELEASE. 10 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10. Hard Rock Café, 230 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square. $10-12. 412-481-7625 or www.hardrock.com - Pittsburgh City Paper

Ashley Samek,
Local band Long Time Divided (LTD) is preparing to release their self-titled debut on Saturday, Nov. 10. Vocalist DJ Beckage, guitarists Bill Costello and Paul Terry, bassist Bob Beveridge and drummer Jason Slick make up LTD. Beckage is a student here at Seton Hill University (SHU), majoring in graphic design with a minor in creative writing . When he’s not practicing with the band, you can find him on campus drawing or doing graphic design. He’s also an active member of the Student Veteran Club.

The opening track of LTD, “Where I Am,” captivates the listener with its introduction. When Beckage starts singing, you can’t help but start to move along with the music. The upbeat tempo continues throughout the CD with a few slower songs mixed in.

“Home From Sea” is an attention grabber. Paul Terry, one of the guitarists, started to read “Requiem” from the book “Underwoods,” by Robert Louis Stevenson during the piece in an eerie, detached way. At first, I couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from until I realized it was part of the CD. The reading is truly memorable and makes listeners pause with each listen.

“Spiders” was captivating as well. I was unsure at first what they were talking about in the song. Just listening to the lyrics, I thought they were talking about something completely different. For instance, “I am unstoppable, you’ve lost your way.” I certainly didn’t think they were talking about spiders. I then looked at the title. I listened to the song again and this time it made more sense.

One of the slower tracks on the album is “February Farewell.” The song begins quietly and calmly with a single piano, pulling listeners in. The music crescendos finally adding the drums. This is one I could listen to over and over again.

The track “Black Hole” is another catchy song that you can’t help but bob your head to. The beginning of the song was reminiscent of “The Drug In Me Is You,” by Falling in Reverse. For a moment I thought I had clicked on the wrong song, but then the LTD vocals started. Powerful and full of feeling, the vocals weren’t the same as the lead singer’s of Falling in Reverse.

You can buy LTD’s album through iTunes, Xbox Live, Amazon, Spotify and iHeartRadio. November 10 is also their CD release party held at the Hard Rock Café in Pittsburgh. The doors will open at 10 p.m. and the show will start at 10:30 p.m. Their special guest is Through These Walls. Pre-show tickets are $10 and $12 at the door, this is a 21 and over event. Come out and join the LTD army and support your fellow classmate. - Setonian - Seton Hill University Newspaper

Long Time Divided is a five piece band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The single, “Lady Luck,” brings bands like Lynch Mob, Slash's Snakepit, and Steve Vai with Devin Townsend to mind. Then, a more progressive feel with “February Farewell” starts to change expectations. The song “Requiem” seems to be right out of the 2001 movie Rock Star and “Breaker's” Iron Maiden feel throughout the songs acts as a mission statement on their resume for musical acceptance. Is the world ready to hear a band like Long Time Divided without immediately labeling them as a band from the late 80's? I guess it will depend which musical trend bubble gets caught then recycled into something “New” to those ignorant to metal and rock history. Luckily, with the internet, all styles of music can thrive without the worry of finding a fan base. The music of Long Time Divided is a refreshing breath for some and to others a glimpse of an era before their time. - Target Audience Magazine