Stir of Echoes

#1181: Ice Storm April! [with Dashcam Video]

RECORD STORE TALES #1181: Ice Storm April!

I think one of the greatest reasons that my seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) has been non-existent this year is the revelation that I can work from home, and when I do it’s not as bad as I feared it would be.  This means if I can avoid driving due to weather, I don’t have to drive.  My work has a good policy on working from home that would give me this flexibility.  After all, when it comes down to brass tacks, the worst part of winter isn’t the weather.  It’s driving in it.  Looking at it from inside is actually kind of fun.

Our spring has been warm/cold off and on, but spring is definitely here.  That means that a few drivers have prematurely taken off their snow tires.  Canadians seem to forget that April can get angry, just when you think it’s all over.  I don’t know why they forget this, year after year.  Perhaps it’s wishful thinking.  Regardless, when that last angry storm hit us on April 3 2025, the lack of snow tires on cars that should know better by now, created an actual perfect storm of traffic chaos.

I was at work that morning, and watched as a wet mix of snow and rain suddenly pelted my car from outside.  Although I should have gone home immediately, I ate my lunch and emailed my bosses that I’d be working from home that afternoon.  I wish I had left 30 minutes earlier, but if wishes were horses…I’d probably still got stuck in traffic.

I watched as a pickup truck in front of me, on only the slightest incline, began to skid backwards.  He veered off to the left, and made a U-turn, unable to go up the slightest hill.  Once I crested the hill, I was met with three transport trucks that were completely stuck in the snow and ice.  I had to carefully navigate the space between them in order to proceed.  The hill got steeper, but I had no problem with my snow tires.

It was nerve wracking and I had my dad on the phone the whole time, keeping him up to date with my progress home; he was so worried.

I saw cars pull over to the side of the road just to brush the accumulating snow off their rear and side windows.  I was luckier.  With my dad’s help the day before, we just finished installing new windshield wipers on my car.  They were more than up to the task.

Lessons learned in the winter of 2025:

  1. Working from home alleviates the anxiety aspect of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  2. Don’t take your winter tires off until mid-April!

Songs:

Buffalo Crows – “Starlord” from Bovonic Empire

Sword – “Unleashing Hell” from Sword III

Stir of Echoes – “Wild Eye” from Stir of Echoes

Blotto – “Secret Agent Man” / “Metalhead” live at Toad’s Place

REVIEW: Stir of Echoes – Stir of Echoes (2008)

STIR OF ECHOES – Stir of Echoes (2008 Stir Records)

When Hamilton’s near-legendary metal band Mystique broke up at the end of the 1980s, singer Ray D’Auria bounced back with the hard rocking Slam Glory.  That is a story and album unto itself.  D’Auria’s next major release was a full lengther with quartet Stir of Echoes.  The band formed in 2006 with a self-titled CD release in 2008.  According to a note from filmmaker Marco D’Auria, the album was engineered by Steve Negus of Saga fame.  What musical avenues would Ray explore this time, two decades after the end of Mystique?

The answer is:  if Mystique was metal, and Slam Glory was hard rock, then Stir of Echoes is good old rough n’ raw classic rock.  A heavier Led Zeppelin, perhaps.

Ray’s voice has transitioned to a rougher, more raspy delivery though still with the power and range we expect.  Opener “Sentimental” boasts some slippy-slidey guitar bits and bites, while a locked-in bass/drum groove keeps things moving.  This bluesy rocker is world class.  I like how the rhythm guitar part drops out when the solo comes in – very live sounding.  That’s Marco Ciardullo on guitar.

Track two, “Alone” is an upbeat rocker with Ray shredding the vocal cords throughout.  It’s actually a bit of a drum showcase on the side, with plenty of solos and fills by Darryl Brown.  There’s a bit of Zeppelin in the vocal delivery when Ray sings, “I, I…” at the midway point.  A brilliant track that smokes with a bass solo (by Carmine…just Carmine) and impressive musical exposition.

The groove of “Sold It All to Fame” recalls the classic British blues of bands like Humble Pie.  It sounds like it was born from a jam.  There’s a tasty guitar riff to bite into.  Following this groove, they go heavier on “Bonefoot” which might recall a Sabbathy vibe, circa the first three or four albums, in the riff and looseness.  “Lies, lies, lies!” screams Ray D’Auria like a man wronged.

Stir of Echoes slow things to a nocturnal crawl on the blues “In the Cold”.  Many classic heavy rock bands boast a classic slow blues, and this sounds like Stir of Echoes’ stab at the genre.  The band gets to stretch out musically while Ray focuses on the pain.  “All of this time…alllll of this time…”  Like a classic-era rock singer, Ray sounds out of another decade.

The burner gets turned up to 10, and things start smoking again on “Little Dog”, an absolute blitz.  Then they go for a more fun vibe on “Shot Gun”, which has one riff that definitely reminds us of Zep’s “How Many More Times”.  You have to question how Ray could sustain this kind is singing!  It’s top level, at all times, with the rasp and high notes!  At the end of the song, they ignite the afterburners and the whole thing goes stratospheric.

The first respite on the album lies within the acoustic intro of “Burning in the Rain”, the closest thing they offer to a power ballad.  Emphasis on the power.  Really, it’s more of a bluesy showcase for Ray to offer up some of his most passionate singing.  “Shake” takes things back to boogie, and the mid-tempo groove really allows the bassline to breathe.  This is a great song to dance or drink to.

The only song you might consider “soft” would be the acoustic closer “Too Late”.  Very Zeppelin III in feel.  The lack of volume allows Ray to lay back a bit and really just sing.  It’s just him and some acoustics, so the spotlight is on, and he uses it well.  Brilliant performance.

Except “Too Late” isn’t the closer!  There is an unlisted bonus track called “Wild Eye” which may be the best of the bunch!  It’s certainly one of the most memorable.  The stuttery opening riff is just a little different from the pack.

Stir of Echoes aren’t as diverse as Mystique, and the subject matter is more grounded.  Stir of Echoes is more laser-focused on a specific kind of rock, and they go all-in.  They do what they do very well.  The last band that attempted this kind of sound and did it this well was called Badlands.  If you know, you know.  Get it.

4/5 stars