Young men comprising Transit Method apparently had no idea that the time-shifting proto-prog metal of Rush and the widescreen psychedelic sludge rock of Jane’s Addiction are opposing forces. The Austin trio’s debut LP We Won’t Get Out of Here Alive fuses remarkable instrumental facility with alt-rock loud/soft dynamics, like a grunge band that got its colors mixed up: King Crimson with Blacks Sabbath and Flag. That indifference to boundaries means modern rocker “Clones” gains a cutting, metallic edge. The epic “Outlaw by Disguise” feels as earthy as it does anthemic, and the butt-rocking “Parasight” boasts an unselfconscious street metal vibe. Falling somewhere between Perry Farrell and Axl Rose, singer/guitarist Matt LoCoco sounds just as comfortable brooding as wailing, and he plays like a Berklee College grad enamored with Nirvana. We Won’t Get Out of Here Alive might ultimately prove commercially prophetic, too, since the era in which it could thrive is long over, yet Transit Method’s eager sense of adventure sells it wholesale.
This article appears in August 11 • 2017.