Default/The Fallout(2001)

 

Yeah Yeah Yeah ….Default from Vancouver released a real Solid Piece Of Rock back in 2002 called The Fallout. Course Chad Kroger had his easy Bake The Hits Oven Mitts all over this album as he was a co writer on many of the tracks.

Say what ya want man but a Great Song is a Great Song and there’s a good portion of those on this album….Oh yeah here are Chadwick’s contributions to The Fallout…

1. “Sick & Tired” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 2:59
2. “Deny” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 3:55
3. “Wasting My Time” 4:29
4. “Slow Me Down” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 3:23
5. “One Late Night” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 3:10
6. “Seize the Day” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 2:43
7. “Somewhere” 3:20
8. “Live a Lie” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 3:40
9. “By Your Side” 2:46
10. “Faded” (Default, Chad Kroeger) 3:23
11. “Let You Down”

Default Dudes are….

Dallas Smith – Lead vocals
Jeremy Hora: Guitars
Dave Benedict: Bass guitar
Danny Craig: Drums, Percussion

Yeah that’s Dallas Smith who has basically iced Default and has now gone into the whole Country(I really don’t give a Fuck about ) Rock as an solo act well that’s his deal but I will say his voice is one of the reasons this album still holds up well today in the year of 2016!

Smith can sing thats for sure as the opener on this album Sick And Tired proves as it’s a great track. It sets the tempo of the album. Some nice drumming by Craig and some nice picking courtesy of Jeremy Hora. That’s the thing with these guys. They play for the song so theres really no solos just 3 minute straight ahead rock tracks.  The Don’t Bore Us ..Get To The Chorus does indeed apply here!

Deny Is a well written track complete with another great vocal delivery by Smith and some cool snap happy Drumming and Bassing!The Bass Player Dave Benedict almost stole the show the two times i seen Default here in Tbay. First as openers for Nickleback and than a few years later Default opened for Staind and this dude is Wired to say the least he has the rock moves down pat but doesn’t come across as an Poser. Entertaining was the word I heard and yeah make no bones about it The Cat can play the 4 Stringer!

This album though at times slows the gears do as in the tune Wasting My Time. A pretty decent attempt at Radio Fodder which broke these guys into the US of TrumpA. Smith delivers it during the verse and yeah it’s a tune I can put up with and funny thing as it’s there biggest single and Chad K didn’t have his hands in this.

One song that Kroger did a cowrite with Default is Track 10 which is as I call them End Of Albums Gems and thats Faded. Wowzer’s what a ripping good track and the chorus is Friggin Gold and the lyrics are real good as well. Crank the video posted below!

 

Come to think of it I  bought all three of there Releases and the other two (One  Thing Remains and  Come And Goes)are decent as well.

The Fallout is one of those solid debut albums that if your looking just for some straight ahead Rock check this one out!

Lotsa of people out there in the Rock World have a problem with Nickleback. Why? I have no friggin idea. Too be fair to them I caught them when they showed up to Tbay plugging  there Long Road release and put on a decent show. I have not bought any of there recent stuff but whatever they still pack out  Arena’s ..I know Jompa digs em and no one bust his chops over it….well probably Ladano does….haha… 

Wrecked Alive…..

Big Wreck/Nickleback/ Millennium Night Club/March 17th 1998

People are amazed at how I remember dates, set lists etc. Well truth be told I kept newspaper clippings and ticket stubs of shows that me and Tbone had checked out over the years but after DaBrun mentioned about doing a Big Wreck review it triggered in my OL noggin about the time me and Tbone caught Big Wreck and openers (wait for it) Nickleback at a local sleaze bar in Tbay!

I had no ticket stub of the date but advertised also between openers Nickleback the new Van Halen album 3 would be played in its entireity before Big Wreck! That’s how I remembered the date of this show is due to the same day release of Vh3! So of course there’s Nickleback pre Silver Side Up by about 3 years plugging who the hell knows what. To mine and Tbones ears they sounded like everyone else at the time so to be honest in the left ear out the right! But hey at the time they were just 4 long hairs from Alberta! Of course 2001 rolls around and well you know there deal…..

So VH 3 is played to the 200 plus packed out sleaze bar and except for me and Tbone no one really notices it being played! Me and Tbone were talking to our buddy Oinks as we seen him there and were chatting him up about VH 3. Come to think of it me and Tbone were like a couple of greasy ol used car salesmen trying to sell a inferior product(Vh3)  to a unsuspecting customer(Poor Oinks)! Me and Tbone were fooled,manipulated and were duped by Eddie and Alex Van Halen in regards to Vh3!

Live and Learn…..

Aaaah here’s Big Wreck climbing the Canadian charts with there debut album ((In Loving Memory Of ) and the Wreck boys slam out of the gates with Fallin Through The Cracks and of course with it being  there only release they played it all. That Song,Under a The Lighthouse,Oh My,The Oaf …and one thing became clear early on as these guys especially Ian Thornley(lead singer/guitarist) and Brian Doherty(guitarist) were changing up guitars after each tune it was like a guitar factory in action! The bass player (Dave Henning) played a 12 string bass for his part and with Forrest Williams slammimg the drums proving these boys had the chops!

The encore was pretty cool as when Big Wreck sauntered back up to the stage they said they were bringing up Nickleback to jam with them!

Thornley said to the crowd ‘ah man what are we gonna play?”Some drunk biker chick infront of me and Tbone hollered “Ozzy!” Typical shout out so I got in the mix and hollered  “Freebird!”…

At which point Thornley said into his mic “here’s a Skynyrd song!” Tbone basically sprayed his beer about 5 feet out of his mouth in all directions and we hollered like a couple of schoolboys at my guess….

WreckBack (the two bands jamming ) played Simple Man by Skynryd ..ahhh I was close with my guess, but close only counts in horseshoes and grenades!

Still it was a great laugh….

Big Wreck=Great Band!