Links:

First Thoughts:
Honestly my first thought was “Hey, those drums sound really good.” After that I found myself thinking “Hey, those guitars sound good too… maybe somebody sunk a little money into this recording.” I was not sure I was going to like Dirty Game at first (the name makes me think of a bad rap album) but as it stands I really enjoyed them.
Song Scores:
Empty Vision: The keyboard motif over the riff in the beginning is very haunting. I liked it, and that brought us into the verse. Empty Vision incorporates an old staple of progressive verse patterns by using a broken rhythm with a small lick for the turnaround but it works well here. The vocals are of the traditional style but very well done. The chorus never seemed to hook me, it was not bad but I never found myself able to get swept up into it. However, the harmony part at the end of the chorus on the vocals was really cool. At 3:44 the band drops into a real punchy lick that turns into a groovy bed for the solo. That was my favorite part of this song. One more small complaint: the ending seemed very abrupt.
Song Score: 6
Time To Pay: Once again Dirty Game has a very strong opener to a song. This starting riff is very catchy and again keyboard driven. I really liked the verse portion a lot. The vocals and mean guitars helped set a frantic mood. Unfortunately the part at 1:12 or so brought down the energy level some but they are able to get it back for the chorus. Unlike the chorus for Empty Vision I found this one to be very hooky. From 3:17 on for awhile we hear portions that cement an influence by Dream Theater on this band. These licks sound like they might have easily been found on “Take the Time” or “Under a Glass Moon.” Dirty Games was really able to capture that Images and Words sound here. Nice. There is a small transition at 4:33 that seemed forced, but it is a small dent in a very solid song. This ending was solid.
Song Score: 8
Dirty Game: I always thought it was like an unspoken rule not to name a song the same name as your band. Usually those songs really suck too. Dirty Game (the song) is an exception to that unspoken rule because Dirty Game (the band) was able to create a very groovy and prog-laden tune. The opener is the most progressive thing that Dirty Games has on their myspace as of this writing. The verse pattern incorporates the broken rhythm/lick formula again, but again it works. The chorus chord pattern was interesting and a nice change from the verse. The licks at 2:21 are mean and I had wished that they had gone on for another pass or two. The ending does not feel forced and makes a strong finale for this song.
Song Score: 7
Band Scores:
Writing: The composition of these songs show a great deal of proficiency. The complaints that I came up with were very nit picky and really only a matter of my own personal tastes. A couple of transitions here or there could have been smoother and the ending of Empty Visions never felt strong. But as a whole, I never felt that the song departed from itself or was the product of two songs that got merged into one. That is a huge problem in many progressive bands but it does not manifest itself in Dirty Game (the band).
Writing Score: 7
Playing: The focus of this band seems to be on the music itself and not the individual talents of the performers. I’m not saying that Vohanka can not do a Steve Vai style solo, because maybe he can, he just does not choose to do one here. The guitar parts were very well done, the tone sounded good and there was never a forced guitar fill or lick. The drums were solid, though slightly on the conservative side (but man did they sound great). The vocals were way above average. I really enjoyed Dolenek’s singing and if you like traditional progressive vocals you will too. (Think Evergray or maybe even some Tate in there). The keyboards were nicely done, never too much and never some god awful annoying patch from hell. As for the bassist?? Well, see below.
Playing Score: 6
Recording: These three songs sound good. I mean they sound professional. There is nothing in here that screams “Be Careful…Home Recording Ahead.” The drums deserve some special attention. Most of the time on smaller and self produced projects the drums never seem quite right (usually the snare drum is never right) and many times it sounds like the music is on top of the drums or the drums is on top of the music. This is wrong. The drums and the music need to be intermingled and that is what we have with Dirty Game. The guitar tone is nice and thick and EQ’d to the point that you can still hear the bass guitar thumping away at the bottom even during the thick distorted portions. One of the better recordings I have heard lately. Good Job.
Recording Score: 9
Notes on the Bassist: What Bassist! They do not list one in the band nor in the about section on their myspace. Who played it? It sounds good… was it a super keyboard patch? I don’t think so…it sounded real to me. Did Petr Vohanka play it and not write it down in his credits? What the hell! Anyway, it was played average with no fills or xtra licks…. but it was not bad. Somebody should take credit for this.
Final Thoughts:
This was a good band. There is nothing in the sound that is new, groundbreaking, or never been done before. However, there is nothing in the sound that is bad, poorly done, or below average. Dirty Game took all the things we like about prog music and made sure they did those thing right. I am looking forward to the album when it is complete and I’ll be sure to pick one up. You should do the same.
FINAL SCORE: 7 (above average and recommended).