Set Fire to the Snow Liner Notes: Side One

Battle Royale with Cheese 
Completed - 3rd November, 2010
Guitars, Bass - Shane
Tuning - Standard
Drums* - Alan White, John Tempesta, Stephen Perkins and Jeff Anthony

The album opener was put together very quickly, and as with many artists before me, I felt energised by that spontaneity - so it just had to go up front. With the completion of this tune, I really felt like I was working towards the next Cellardoor album, and not just a collection of Cellardoor type songs. My initial goal was to create a short, stomping classic rock track referencing Aerosmith, AC/DC and Zeppelin. Some of that remains, but by the time I'd finished the production it had taken on more of the typical Cellardoor vibes, reaching out to Vernon Reid (the main riff that nods to Jimmy Page), Alex Lifeson (the sonically uplifting and musical chorus) and Tom Morello (the special FX department) for a more progressive edge.

The song was written in about an hour and a half on the Monday evening; structured, demoed, recorded and mixed throughout Tuesday, with the original (non-album) master completed on Wednesday morning. Very much a production line approach, in stark contrast to some of the other pieces.

The beauty of instrumentals is that you can go a bit further with the titles, and so with this one I compounded a movie title with a movie quote. Multi instrumentalist extraordinaire, Cu Walsh (Argento, Bukkake Picnic, Zombie School, Mike Got Spiked) says he can imagine some mega robots clashing to these sounds, and that's all right by me. 



Don't Eat the Yellow Snow 
Completed - 15th April, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard
Drums* - Stephen Perkins

One of the very first pieces to be written, with a title inspired by the preceding heavy weather (in January 2010). Along with The Sound of Muse (sic), this was a song with no home at the time - but it was clear to me that I was moving in a certain creative direction. Shorter songs with a definite Cellardoor flavour: the natural blending of the instinctive Progger and the Library Man I had started to become.

Guitar wise, I was very inspired by the twin approach used by Andrew Goddard and Mark Hosking (Karnivool) for the heavy punctuated sections, and the work of Matt Bellamy (trem picking riffs) and Dave Grohl is also very prevalent.

[This song bears no relation to the Zappa track of the same name]



Hang 'em B-Low 
Completed - 12th September, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Custom
Drums* - John Tempesta, Matt Sorum, Stephen Perkins, Matt Cameron

I didn't put too many brakes on this one - all the guitar parts are played on my PRS using a custom tuning: B, G#, D#, F#, A#, D#. It's essentially a half step detune, but with variations on the 4th and 6th strings. That characteristic flabbiness can be felt on the opening guitar lines as it progessively thickens all the way up to the first 'verse'. Also featured a lot of keyboards on this one, leaning more towards heavy Porcupine Tree and Opeth territory in places. All in all, I think I checked a number of my favourite artists on this mini epic, without getting too familiar.

Drum wise, this one is a bit of a tour de force, evidenced by the guys I roped in: all from the heavy alt rock / metal school. Hold on tight, it's a bit of a ride!



Isolation Freakazoid 
Completed - 19th July, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard (with capo at 2nd Fret)
Drums* - Stephen Perkins, John Tempesta, Matt Sorum

I guess I got pretty busy during the late Spring months, because I didn't pick up on new Cellardoor material again until July - and even then, by accident. 'Isolation' is one of those pieces that started out as an attempt at something in the Muse versus Bloc Party vein (Modern Alt Indie Pop Prog if there is such a thing). Ultimately it didn't end up there at all, so became part of the Cellardoor canon.

I was trying not to get too adventurous with the rhythms, so there are a number of very subtle groove shifts that really play on the simplest Pop / Rock patterns for all the main parts - you can rely on Stephen Perkins to give you that balance of groove and honest simplicity. I wanted the guitar and synth lines to be very vocal sounding, so called on a combination of theremins, moogs, and deliberately sleazy riffs...in that Zeppelin way, you know: 'tight but loose'.

This song contains two of my favourite moments on the album - at 1:40 where the 3rd verse tenses up to emphasise the call and response riffing, and then at 2:06 where the swaggering chorus riff is let rip, providing a sense of release.



Knights of East Devonshire 
Completed - 25th October, 2010
Guitars, Bass, Synth - Shane
Tuning - Standard (detuned half step)
Drums* - Alan White, Matt Sorum, John Tempesta, Stephen Perkins

Bringing side one to a close is one of the real heavyweights of the album. Incepted just over a year earlier, with some riffs intended for future One More Outnumbered projects, this one was pulled 'from the vaults'.

It's only fitting that Alan White was responsible for the majority of the drums on this epic - it's got nifty odd time sections, bass pedals, oodles of classic synth sounds and wanders almost aimlessly at times. Of course, when I needed double bass drumming I went to one of the very best, and so John Tempesta's signature is all over this, too.

Guitar wise, I was inspired by Jerry Cantrell initially, so I took up my Strat and detuned it. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it handled the riffage on offer here. When matched with the right amps it has that lovely soaring, almost hollow, tone. Sure enough, it's great for soloing, so there is a bit of an extended workout thrown in - equal parts Bellamy, Lifeson, Wilson, Murray & Smith. 






*courtesy of submersible music