Progressive Nation Act I: Scale the Summit

First up was Scale the Summit. This four-piece (two guitars trading leads, plus bass and drums) trades in the modern instro-metal-prog genre. A really young lot (not Hanson “Mm-bop” young, not “Michael Jackson when he was human” young, but young nonetheless) turned out a bruising set. For me, the songs ran together and didn’t offer much in the way of variety or distinctiveness. This wasn’t helped by the horrible room mix: while the audience could clearly see two fleet-fingered guitarists turning out 64th-notes, all we could hear was the loudest, most indistinct bass imaginable. Try as I might, I couldn’t pick out any actual bass notes; it was all a dull subsonic roar.

Scale the Summit

All I could think was that the onstage monitor mix must have been better, because the guys in the band didn’t act as if anything was wrong. That, or maybe the bass player’s dad is the band manager or sound engineer. Anyway, I’ll cut ‘em a break because they were obviously trying pretty hard, and as I said, they’re way-young. Still, their music is more of the see-what-we-each-can-do variety than the we’re-a-band-that-plays-together variety. But there’s a market for what they do, and they got a standing O. Best of luck to ’em; this tour is, I should think, a pretty big break for the band.

Gratuitous parting shot: For those who like this style, this group runs circles (ha!) around Scale the Summit.

About the Author

Bill Kopp

With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.