antiMusic.com: The Gabriel Construct

The Gabriel Construct - Interior City

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This album's bio states: "The album's densely layered vocal harmonies, distorted pianos, dissonant chords, and complex rhythms envelop the listener in a hallucinatory wall of sound." Indeed, The Gabriel Construct, a rock solo project of Gabriel Lucas Riccio, a vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Salisbury, MD, is not at all baby food. You'll need all your teeth and a fully developed digestive system to take it all in.

Interior City is the title Riccio has given this complex release, and "Ranting Prophet" is one early track in particular that signals what happens throughout this collection of songs. At one point, the song goes into a semi cacophonous instrumental section, before Riccio follows up with an angry vocal.

The biography goes into great detail when describing what this concept album is about:

The album's concept is concerned with overcoming the mental programming which holds each of back. It is a story about paranoia and escapism, based on a simple idea: in a society which respects nothing, every individual learns that they are not worthy of respect. The album follows one person's tumultuous journey to regain their self respect and their ability to fully engage with the world around them, in the process revealing the darkest thoughts that drive society as a hole.

Riccio uses a wide range of musical styles to tell this serious story, from classical, to progressive rock, to jazz, to metal. Needless to say, this is not any sort of background music. Instead, it's the kind of project that requires concentration and repeated listening. Fortunately, Riccio is quite good at what he does, and has created an epic album that shows off the full range of his musical talents.