Artist: JAMES LaBRIEs MULLMUZZLER
Album: KEEP IT TO YOURSELF (CD)

Year: 1999
Media type: CD

James LaBrie's MullMuzzler began to take shape in the summer of 1998, after the last leg of Dream Theater's extensive Touring Into Infinity World Tour. James started the project by collaborating with some of the most talented songwriters in the progressive rock genre: Trent Gardner (Magellan, Explorer's Club), Matt Guillory (Dali's Dilemma), Gary Sloyer, and Carl Cadden-James, Brendt Allman, and Gary Wehrkamp (all from Shadow Gallery). Working together, the musicians began to craft the songs for MullMuzzler's first CD.

As the tunes began to take shape, it became clear that a crack team of virtuoso players would need to be assembled to bring the music to life in the studio. This elite squad would eventually include Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Beer For Dolphins) on guitars, Mike Mangini (Extreme, Steve Vai) on drums, Matt Guillory (the brilliant keys man already helping James compose the songs for the disc) on keyboards, and Bryan Beller (Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Beer for Dolphins) on bass. In the studio, James would call upon the talents of incomparable Rush producer Terry Brown to lend his special kind of magic to the sonic festivites.

Due to the hectic schedules of all involved, it was nearly impossible for all of the musicians involved with the MullMuzzler project to meet in person to compose and create the tracks for MullMuzzler's debut release, "Keep it to Yourself". As a result, the crew began the daunting task of writing (and later recording) a complex prog/hard rock CD almost completely via email, snail mail, and telephone conversations. This unorthodox method of creating music inspired James to dub the project MullMuzzler, a hybrid word of his own creation. As he explains, "I was sitting down and thinking about how absurd this whole process was with this album, the long distances, the variety of human interaction, so I thought 'what can best describe what the songs are saying to me, what is really affecting my social stance right now, my whole environment?' So I was thinking about how so many people in the world today are suppressed or oppressed when they want to say something. So many people hold back what they are truly thinking. So I thought what could best describe that process? And there was no word out there. So I put two words together, 'mull', which means to ponder thought, 'muzzler', or 'muzzle', which means to gag. So 'mullmuzzler' means to gag or silence an individual's thought before it can be expressed in any manner. It's as simple as that."

The result of this consolidated effort is nothing short of fabulous. "Keep it to Yourself" boasts 9 incredible tracks, each distinctly forged by the composers that penned them. Matt Guillory joined James in the composition of His Voice, Statued, and Lace; Carl Cadden-James, Brendt Allman, and Gary Wehrkamp lent their talents to Shores Of Avalon, Sacrifice, Slow Burn, and Guardian Angel; and Trent Gardner's inimitable talent shines through on the unique tracks Beelzebubba and As a Man Thinks. Containing a plethora of musical styles from intricate progressive rockers to driving classic rock tunes and beautifully emotional ballads, "Keep it to Yourself" is a musical tour de force that provides an aural experience both satisfying and, at times, surprising. Focusing supremely on the "needs" of each individual song, the album offers the listener just the right amount of musicianship, melody, and groove. Vocally, James' voice soars above all else, powerful and provocative.

TRACKLIST:

"His Voice" - 3:43
"Statued" - 3:23
"Shores of Avalon" - 7:51
"Beelzebubba" - 5:20
"Guardian Angel" - 7:27
"Sacrifice" - 5:14
"Lace" - 4:14
"Slow Burn" - 6:20
"As a Man Thinks" - 8:11

LINE-UP:

James LaBrie (Dream Theater)
Trent Gardner (Magellan, Explorer's Club)
Matt Guillory (Dali's Dilemma)
Gary Sloyer, and Carl Cadden-James
Brendt Allman, and Gary Wehrkamp (all from Shadow Gallery)