Seven Mary Three: Dis/Location November 2004 By: Matt Boltz

With their fifth album Dis/Location, released in May 2004, veteran rockers Seven Mary Three have proven that they're still capable of making good old-fashioned rock music. While Dis/Location doesn't blaze any new musical trails, it is a solid collection of songs that puts Seven Mary Three's twist on the rock music formula.

Singer/guitarist Jason Ross and lead guitarist Thomas Juliano, the principal songwriters on Dis/Location, do a good job of staying true to the band's rock roots. Although the album's guitar-heavy, crunching attack is nothing new sonically, that seems to be no problem for the songwriters, who used a formula that works well for them. Ross and Juliano created a batch of songs that appears to represent the band writing the tunes they believed in for the record without compromising for the wishes of any outside parties, a right that has certainly been earned by a group who has achieved some commercial success and is working on their fifth album.

Dis/Location starts out with an unmistakable rock vibe in the guise of Settle Up, a fast-paced tune allowing each member of Seven Mary Three to shine. Ross's low-pitched and defiant vocals go well with the heavy, crunching guitar sounds he and Juliano create, while Casey Daniel's driving bass and Giti Khalsa's up-tempo drumming provide a great backdrop for the song. While the band maintains a fairly grungy sound throughout the album, they do a commendable job of balancing the heavy instrumental side of things with countering guitar and vocal melodies as found on Blue Letter and slower tempo tunes like Where Are You Calling From? The songs on Dis/Location also harness the songwriting maturity and tightness that comes from a combination of life experiences and spending years on the road with a band.

Since entering the public spotlight in the mid 1990s Seven Mary Three has endured a lot of adversity, but they have stuck it out and continue to work hard and make good music. Their latest album Dis/Location could be considered a blue-collar rock album. It is the result of hard work, an honest approach to the music, and a vision of making a focused record that rocks without trying to be too fancy or pander to current music trends. While Seven Mary Three is far removed from the days of their hits Cumbersome, Water's Edge, and Lucky, they're still capable of making good music that should appeal to both long time fans and new listeners who enjoy unpretentious rock and roll.

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