Morre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
“If you like, singers who have a really good voice and players who are simply fantastic then I’m sure you will dig what they do as much as I do. Their latest album, MORPHINE is a mind blower. Take for example, the song House on the Hills, the music ranges from straight forward rock, to an exotic non-Western jam. The thing is that it all blends together and sounds good, fresh, new. The song Letting Go, has such a dark heavy bottom that I’m actually reminded of Sabbath or Dio – except with more melodic melodies and polish.
The song Mountain High makes me smile every time I listen to it. The bass is just so right on and the interplay between the bass and drums is killer. Wind Beneath My Wings, however, has to be my favorite track on the album. Here, the band shows that they can do some old school blues – and they do it well.
The guitar rocks, the bass grooves while the drums swing and the harp kicks it out. Don’t take my word for it. Check out their website at www.morremusic.com. The name of the album is MORPHINE and is available at most online retailers.” - Grouchy Gaijin
“With their feet very much in the Classic rock camp, they bring an updated feel to this genre, with a sound that is almost unique, Adrians smoky-lounge vocal style complements Igor’s raspy melodic voice all help to showcase the different side’s to the Morre sound.
‘House On The Hill’ opens up this opus with an eastern flavour, this takes a bit of getting used to at first, but works really well.
I then discover that this is a running theme throughout the record, with the use of different instruments, Harmonica, Flute, Mandolin and what sounds like a kettle drum to create a lush landscape of musical diversity.
The rest of the record stands up well, with Morre carving a nice niche for their music to slot into, full of chunky riffs, finger picking solo’s, coupled with their laid back, straight shooting rock style, they bring a sense of fun to their music.
There are 13 songs on this album, maybe unlucky for some, but lucky for you if you’re already a Morre fan.
Letting Go is the stand out track for me, a Morre take on a classic rock song, with delicate picking, a glorious chorus, a thumping rhythm section and full of emotive playing. This is a Classic rock album played with heart, soul, and a lot of fun” - David Farrell from Planetmosh
“It is always a pleasure to hear a band that considers the interesting shape and satisfying journey a song arrangement and structure can take. Toronto’s Morre do that very well, thank you. Take opener House On The Hill, essentially a basic country-tinged rock song made more interesting through its twangy Jimmy Page guitar and eastern style instrumental section. Adrian Tonceanu (Vocals/Guitars), Igor Lazebnik (Vocals/Guitars) and Tyler Koch (Drums/Backing Vocals) use some guest support to pull together this smoky, lush classic rock effort that evokes but doesn’t replicate Zep and the Stones. There’s a subtle eastern flavour throughout, combined with touches of harmonica, flute, mandolin or percussion to bring diversity and lifts this album well above the norm. Whether delicate acoustic, finger-picking or chunky electric, the confident swagger throughout this album is justified – this is good stuff.” - Miles Bartaby from Classic Rock Society (UK)
”Morphine is the third album by the Toronto based band called MORRE. Each album has seen the band push the boundaries of their musicality and redefine the roles of classic rock and this record continues the tradition.
Morphine opens with House on the Hills. The song brings back memories of Johnny Cash’s simple country guitar, but MORRE only uses that as a base to build the rest of the song. You would never really hear a flute in country or even Rock N’ Roll (fuck Jethro Tull). The song pulls the listener on this musical journey and they never really know where it’s going until they get there. The song speeds up about 2/3 of the way through into this melding of Middle Eastern finger picking and cresendos to a strong drum bombast. You can almost forget that the song started out as a country ballad.
That’s my favorite part about this band. I never EVER know where the song is going to go from the sound that it starts with. MORRE’s ability to craft songs is far and away better than their contempories. They just get ‘it’. MORRE is a sophisticated band that you don’t have to be sophisticated to love. I have loved every album so far MORRE has put out, but is it possible to love one more than the others? If so, I love Morphine like it’s my first born. The influence of Middle East and Far East music infused into the classic rock formula is a moment of invigoration.” - Craig Wettner (Blogs N' Roses)
"Morre is a 4 piece with a throw back to the old guitar bands of yesterday. What I mean is that in their band they have two guys who could easily play lead in any band they choose. What makes these guys special is how well they work together. Throw into the mix a drummer who simply smokes and a very solid bass player and you have the makings of what could become a super group." - The Grouch (www.grouchygaijin.com)
"the bands that I’ve been hearing from are putting out some good music and the latest band that fits into that category is named Morre. The band based out of Toronto plays a brand of classic rock that also adds in some modern elements to keep their sound fresh. The band’s music features a multi-guitar and dual vocals attack in their songs. Most of the songs found on …Out There are guitar driven and are peppered with short guitar solos that are found throughout them. The vocals are strong and offer up a lot of vocal harmonies in them."
More here:
http://writercwross.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/morre-out-there/ - C.W.Ross (http://writercwross.wordpress.com/)
"A hidden gem? MORRE is a Toronto/Canada based band and somehow I have not read much about this little known act and that is a pity, because from out of nowhere they sent me their CD ‘Out there’, which contains very strong original Melodic Rock. They play original clever rockmusic with clear AOR melodies, yet the difference with many AOR bands is that their arrangements in each and every song are not at all standard melodic rock based, because the tempo changes a lot and the use of acoustic guitars is giving MORRE a rather unique overall sound. I am quite sure the AOR fans will love this band a lot, but I think they can easily reach a wider audience thanks to their QUEEN meets LED ZEPPELIN meets PINK FLOYD kinda arrangements." - Strutter Magazine
"Morre is a sly and sleazy rock and roll band from Toronto. With their massive sound, mystical twin vocalists and a mesmerizing stage show, they have enough attitude to tear many modern rock acts to shreds. Morre brings music back to a primal and ritualistic experience. It puts the audience into a trance with the tribal elements of their sound, like the band are shamans of psychedelic grooves drowned in distortion."
Source: http://www.fazermagazine.com/new/viewPost.php?id=1441 - Alex Young from Fazer Magazine (www.fazermagazine.com)
"They let their musical skills shine through. And shine they do! Intricate melodies, multi tracked vocals, and precise rhythm all combine to create earworms (songs that stay with you days after hearing them). Morre's songs are like audio syphilis - dangerously contagious. To sum up Morre, they are like a Led Zeppelin Pinot Noir. Take the sound of Led Zeppelin, add in a bit of modernization, a dash of World flavor, and let age in your iPod. I guarantee you Morre will age like fine wine and you will come back for Morre."
More here:
http://blogsnroses.com/2010/03/10/morre-out-there-album-review.aspx - Blogs N' Roses (blogsnroses.com)
Discography
February 2009 ``…Out There`` release.
April 2011 ``Contrast`` release.
July 2012 ``Morphine`` release.
Photos
Bio
Consisting of Adrian L. Tonceanu aka “Fuser” (Vocals/Guitars), Igor Laze (Vocals/Guitars), James Rose aka “Just Jones” (Drums/Backup Vocals) and Dan Ayalon (Bass/Backup Vocals) Morre was born in early 2008 in Toronto Canada, by the common thirst of creating an original, dynamic yet accessible sound. This band has a unique story behind its upbringing. Traveling through different parts of the world, each member endured hardships as artists, as well as the joys of meeting new characters throughout their journeys. These elements give the band endless topics and depth to their lyrical and musical content. Combining dark, mystical themes with camp-fire vibe, this band will trigger a wide range of emotions in their listeners. With a deeply rooted musical knowledge these four rockers managed to craft an elaborate yet easily digestible sound of their own, using auxiliary instruments, vintage organ and recording methods. Morre’s influences are so vast that it’s hard to place them in a category of recycled rock. Though they are a classic rock band, it’s almost like they found a fresh sound that was not explored. If one was to describe the band’s style, the closest ancestors would be “Paint it black” (Rolling Stones) and “Kashmir” (Led Zeppelin). The selling point of this band is that it doesn’t sound like any other band.
By performing at world famous venues throughout Ontario and Quebec (El Mocambo, Lee’s Palace, The Mod Club, La National), where Rolling Stones, SRV, Nirvana, Blondie, U2, Elvis Costello and other famous bands performed and recorded, Morre managed to catch the attention of various labels in the early stages of their existence as well as attracting audiences of all age groups. As a result the band got signed to USA based label “Melodic Revolution Records” in January of 2011.
With a powerful live delivery reinforced by conviction and strong dynamics, Morre keeps the audience in the palm of their hands. The band is very charismatic and treats their audience with class, respect, making everyone an ally. One of the many unique characteristics of the band is defined by a Queen-esque ability to all sing in harmony. The two distinct sounding singers/guitar players (Igor Laze and Fuser) give the band a panned stereo flavour that will make you bend back and forth between the left and right speakers of your stereo system. These two songwriters create music that is honest and it is delivered in the authenticity of their voices. Fuser’s smoky-lounge baritone (some of the influences: David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, David Bowie, David Gahan and etc.) and Igor’s raspy melodic tenor voice (some of the influences: Layne Staley, Eddie Vedder, Mike Patton and etc) complement each other, giving the band many options with a rare edge. Both Adrian and Igor are lead/rhythm guitar players with many common influences such as David Gilmour, Slash, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore and more.
Just Jones (Drums/Backup Vocals). Words such as “bombastic”, “aureate”, “thunderous”, have been invented to describe his powerhouse-like drumming! His Influences include some of the rock and heavy metal’s greatest drummers of all times (ie: John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, Bill Bruford of Yes and Genesis, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Vinnie Paul of Pantera). These influences can only lead to raw, tight, powerful and creative playing styles that make Just Jones a highly respected and well-rounded musician.
Dan Ayalon (Bass/Backup Vocals) is the newest addition to the band. Dan really ties the whole group together seamlessly, fitting in like he was there from day one! His knowledge about sound and tone are just some of the many attributes he has acquired in his musical career. Dan’s background, aside from professional bass playing, includes sound engineering (live as well as studio) bringing Morre yet another asset. Some of his influences are: the legendary reggae bass players Robbie Shakespeare (Sly & Robbie) and Aston Barrett (Bob Marley & the Wailers)
as well as the rock and blues legends, John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Tommy Shannon (S.R.Vaughan & Double Trouble), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) and more.
Their three records “…Out There” , “Contrast” and “Morphine” released in 2010, 2011 and 2012 are selling consistently throughout the world, gaining highly acclaimed reviews in North America, South America, Europe and Australia. The albums were featured on many radio shows throughout the above mentioned continents touching a wide demographic range. These albums established Morre as an original sounding band and carved a unique path that can be recognized from the first seconds of any of their songs.
Band Members
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