Conflict of Interest – Conflict of Interest
Conflict of Interest is:
Mike Stanley – Vocals
Ryan Puskarich – Lead Guitar
Justin Adler – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lukas Golson – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Andrew Stork – Drums
Conflict of interest formed in 2003 by vocalist Mike Stanley with the intentions to prove themselves and bring metal back to Las Vegas.
The band released their first demo in 2005 after years of writing, touring and recording. After Mike recruited Ryan, Justin, Lukas and Andrew, the Conflict of Interest lineup was complete and the band has rocked venues ever since. With melodic interludes, explosive lighting and a nonstop stage show, the band has already begun to win over new fans. With their new demo, Conflict of Interest in ready to branch out past Las Vegas and take over the country.
The album opens with “LED”, an eerie, driving composition that starts the album off on a high note. “Calling” begins with a forceful riff and doesn’t give up once you make it to the verses. This song presents some pretty awesome guitar work and overall one of the best track on the album. “Calling”‘s hard and intense demeanor eventually leads into one of the coolest guitar solos I’ve got to write about. The solo fits the song perfect and is a great compliment to the already powerful guitar work presented in the song. The next song, “Enough”, is another high energy song that will get the blood pumping for sure. Conflict of Interest slows it down a bit with track 4, “The Grey”, a song that ends the first half of the album very well.
Track 5, “Fade Away” cranks it back up again to start the end of the album with a bang. Between the intense screaming and the strong guitar riffs of the song, Conflict of Interest have proved only 5 tracks in that they’re able to produce high energy, jam-packed rock songs. I would be ashamed if I didn’t mention that “Fade Away” has a killer guitar solo too. Track 6, “Overture of You” is probably one of the most intense songs on the album. Every last part of the song will drive your mind crazy, including the intricate guitar solo. “Sunday Morning” is next, and it begins with a neat guitar solo and leads into a thumping and driving intro. The part of this song I liked the most is the lyrics. “Oh, we’re coming back again, this one’s for me. Oh, a new life will begin, you’re not alone.” Sunday Morning also has another great guitar solo and leads perfectly into the album finale “Waiting For You”. The band takes it down a few notches again for the album’s ending song. However emotionally, it’s one of the strongest songs on the album. The band definitely made a great choice deciding to end the album with “Waiting For You”.
I think my favorite parts of this whole album were the bridges of the songs. Not only were they emotionally intriguing, but they also included some pretty amazing guitar solos. However, if I was to simply limit the positive aspects of this album to just the bridges, I would be making a horrible mistake. This album, in my opinion, is flawless. Between the screaming, the solos, the drum work and the guitar work, this album flows together beautifully and is one of the best albums I’ve checked out in a while.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle I'm a self taught musician of nearly 20 years and I'm proud to say that music encompasses my life. I'm just a simple guy that loves music and who is constantly searching for new music to feed his musical vices!
