Torman Maxt’s second release, The Foolishness of God, is a religiously atmospheric experience. The title of the album comes from 1 Corinthians 1:19-25: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
The band is comprised of the Massero brothers – Tony, Dominic and Vincent. They list Rush as one of their influences, and you’ll hear that homage throughout the CD, especially on the higher range vocals. All three are exceptionally skilled musicians, and their sound is as clear and concise as any progressive band today. But, they have a message, and this is a concept album, so some may be turned off by the religious overtones.
If you go to their website and click on “bios,” you can read more about their personal influences, likes and dislikes, etc. They have a section for “favorite Bible quote” too, something you’ll not find on Mötley Crüe or Slayer’s web site. But, they also list their favorite kind of cheese, something most bands don’t bother listing as well.
Lyrically, you’ll find some great poetic lines, but you will also get preached to. Lyrics like “Silence isn’t golden, when truth is in the dark …” and “appearance of a whitewashed tomb, yet inside filth and rot consume,” may strike you as vivid, well-scripted words. And they are. But during the song “Space and Time,” the message of the album also comes forth: “it’s the sign of the times and it’s nothing new, Mr. Sagan and Hawking are looking through the lens of knowledge and the things they make it do … fertile minds are the gods that they bow down to.” Again, a great lyric, and it does well in describing part of the concept of the album – man is trying in vain and without faith to explain his very existence. But the overall concept explains itself in the title, meaning, “the foolishness of God is God’s method of saving man.” He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother…
The best song on the CD is the title cut, a song almost 11 minutes long. It annoyingly begins with someone reading from the Bible, but once the singing kicks in, the song takes off. It has everything you’d want in progressive song, but the brilliance comes in the tempo changes. It’s truly amazing to hear how they go from a melodic, acoustic section to a blazing and heavy part, and make them meld together without any segue. Most bands couldn’t pull it off, and you’ll have to hear it yourself to believe it. Some other good songs are “Ghost Town,” “City of Man” and “Off This Planet.”
If you are into music with a message, then this is definitely for you. But even if you are not, they’ll “convert” you to be a new fan by the power of their musicianship.
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