DAN MOORE DRUMS

'Thingy' is a piece that pits very different sounding sections together with creative transitioning, evolving through different tempos, time signatures, and dynamics. Thingy starts with a frenetic, distorted guitar riff being looped in 17/8 with the band jumping in on heavy syncopated accent beats.  A crescending transition leads to a second section in a downtempo 5/4 feel akin to a 70's funk riff with clean rhythmic guitar and a fat horn line.  After a baritone sax solo, another transition leads us back into a repeat of the first section, then transitioning to a third climactic section in a slowed down 4/4 time before ending on a staccato, melodic riff...similar to how the song starts.

Lizard Dog Suite is probably best suited  to be called our 'masterpiece'.  Written primarily by Bryan Sorum, this song runs ten-plus minutes and winds through three distinct movements, with integrated, unique transitioning between them all.  You can hear some commonalities throughout all the movements, but they're very subtle :)  Lizard Dog Suite starts with a jazzy, groovy section in which the bassist is playing measures of 5/8 and 6/8 while I play a quarter-pulse beat over the top. The second movement is a tribal, fast paced section in 6/4 switching between composed melodic lines and solos. The final movement is akin to a rock opera, with large and grandiose accents played against a 7/4 feel.  We eventually return to hint back at the first movement, initially soft and quiet, and then loud and intense.  And that is the Lizard Dog Suite.

Conqueror Worm winds through several different odd time signatures, starting with a repeating 19/4 section followed by a measure of 17/8 and a measure of 15/8 that I play as a cadence on my second snare.  That shifts into a repeating phrase of five measures of 3/4 time that I play with a triplet-type feel, yet with a quarter note pulse played with my right hand through it all.  The song eventually gets to a tribal sounding, up-tempo driving 6/4 section for which I release the snares and play a skin-heavy pattern on the snare drum, winding up at a unique outro that closes the song.

Valkyrlok represents a much groovier version of Kilgore Trout's repertorie. The song follows a fairly straightforward bass line played over two measures of 5/8 while I play more of a 5/4 feel over the top.  Structured horn and guitar harmonies are present throughout with featured solos for trumpet and guitar.  Ironically, Valkyrlok was one of our most danceable songs despite it being in an odd time signature.