The New Face of BTA

It's a sad day, yet also one filled with hope and a bright future.  Both vocalist Jason Wisdom and drummer Brent "Duck" Duckett have left Becoming the Archetype.  They explain why in an interview that you can read here, and there is also a very important blog post that you can read about here.

BTA has been my favorite band for a long time.  I can't describe the feeling of terror that wormed its way into my chest when I found out.  I had to think on it for a day or two before posting this, so I wouldn't just be venting emotions.  When a lead vocalist leaves the band, especially one that has been there since the beginning, the face of the band often changes drastically.  Despite assurances to the contrary, I am still hesitant.

The new vocalist will be Chris McCane, who has been touring with the band for their Celestial Completion tour.  BTA fans will get their first chance to hear him on record with their new O Holy Night cover that comes out December 6th.

Now, just out of curiosity I looked for a video of McCane singing live with BTA.  I was a bit relieved that he seems to have the same style of vocals as Wisdom, with perhaps more of an emphasis on low growls.  Here's the video, but keep in mind the recording quality isn't great.  Nevertheless it's not like he was replaced by Justin Bieber.  Phew. 
 
I can't wait to see what the new lineup will mean for the band.  With the advent of Celestial Completion, I felt that the musical direction of the band began to change a lot.  The interview (link above) with BTA was promising to me.  While I enjoyed the progressive moments on Celestial Completion, they didn't really feel that much like the band I know and love.  The interview assures fans that the next album will hopefully be in the vein of Dichotomy and some of Celestial Completion, but with more traditional methods such as straight-up guitars and keyboards.  The opera, sitar, and horns were interesting, but a bit out-of-depth for BTA.

The best thing about this is that they already have plans to start recording perhaps mid 2012, and will be touring more often.  Having a more active band will land them in the studio more often.  And with BTA changing at least one member for every album that they have released, perhaps this time it won't be terribly different.

We'll never forget you, Duck.  And Jason, you most of all.  For me, you've been the heart and soul of my favorite band.  I will miss you, my bearded brother.