Deeper Shade

by Joe Hacking

After listening to Deeper Shade‘s EP, I figured I had them pegged as a Living Colour-influenced band – intricate bass lines, intense drumming, multi-faceted guitar and powerful vocals. Though the tape was two years old, I assumed there wouldn’t be much change in their sound. After hearing their newer songs live at the Tam, I realized my assumptions were premature.

Deeper Shade knows what makes for good live music – jamming off of each other and getting caught up in each others’ enthusiasm. Drummer Jim Yeskewicz is the foundation upon which the rest of the band builds. His metronome-like precision characterizes most of the band’s songs and gives the rest of Deeper Shade plenty of rhythms to build on. Bassist Mike Rogers, a disciple of Steve Harris, goes from mimicking a rhythm guitar to filling every measure of song time between guitar and drums.

Singer Tim High, looking like Eddie Vedder’s cousin from the East Coast, possesses just the right amount of stage presence for the band. With a voice reminiscent of Corey Glover, he’s certainly got the pipes to pull off whatever the band chooses to play.

Enough cannot be said about guitarist Joe Iadanza. He can control mood or rip the frets, strum away on an acoustic or scream on an electric. Since the band’s demo tape, his sound has progressed greatly.

Perhaps the strongest reason to go see this band is the fact that they don’t sound like “a Boston band.” They formed in Syracuse and came to Boston to find their niche. They may have found it with their funk/metal /groove-jam sound.