Hundred Year Storm

Hello From the Children of Planet Earth

Floodgate Records

“Hello From the Children of Planet Earth” has a lot to offer if you’re willing to give it some time and thought.   Like most independent, or experimental rock bands as they label themselves, they require more than just a quick listen to get the most out of the album.  What I like about “Hello From the Children of Planet Earth,” is that the melodic rock and ethereal vocals make this type of in-depth analysis most enjoyable. 

The band has a similar vein of rhythm and loftiness that is typical of the genre, however the sound is not mimicry as much as it is an exploration of styles.  I like the use of clips like the Florence Nightingale or the news clips from “The Golden Record.”  When you pair this with the eclectic guitar fills, and again the ethereal vocals of Bill McCharen, the result is an expressive journey of emotion and thought. 

There are several extended tracks like “The Golden Record,” “Reach,” and “Pilot’s Last Broadcast” that take you on an hypnotic road trip of emotions.  The feeling of the songs come through much more than you could imagine.  And much more than the formulaic type songs you usually hear on top 40 radio. 

I think that Bill McCharen sums it up in his statement from the Bio when he explains, “music is a deeply spiritual and emotional experience intended to express passion for life, love, pain and longings in a way that words alone could not.”  That pretty much says it all for “Hello From the Children of Planet Earth.”  Expressive, emotional, creative, and well played musically. 

- Ken W.