"Believe it or not this album was recorded during the pandemic in 2020 and unlike any other Consider The Source album, it was the first time we ever collaborated with a producer.
While John was temporarily renting a home in Asheville, NC the three of us along with David Prater (Producer of Dream Theater's Images & Words and more) lived together for about 10 days and recorded what we feel is some of our best material yet. This 5 songs collection ranges from headbanging prog-rock epics to a heart wrenching ballad and naturally includes a taste of our world music influence as well.
There were many learning curves in the process including navigating online rehearsals and making remote demos but the end product is something that couldn't have come together any other way." ~ CTS
More about "The Stare":
The 5-song album "The Stare" by Consider the Source is due to come out on Friday the 13th of September 2024, but the origin story behind the album actually begins back in 1992. Producer David Prater was working with a young up and coming Progressive Rock band named Dream Theater on what was to become their breakthrough album, Images & Words. The album launched the career of the most successful Prog Rock band of our era and provided musicians around the world with inspiration to dive deeper into their instruments. Unbeknownst to Prater 3 musicians of the next generation absolutely fell in with the music of Dream Theater and years later found themselves in a band of their own, Consider the Source.
CTS developed a niche sound and fervent following with multiple album releases and 15+ years of touring nationally and internationally. However, it was a show in a small Colorado town that offered them an opportunity they had never imagined. Producer David Prater had just moved to Colorado and was checking the local music schedule when a band he never heard of caught his eye. He delved into the music of Consider the Source and decided to go to the show to introduce himself to the band. While hanging backstage, one by one it was revealed to the band members who he was along with a recognizable demonstration of a high harmony he sang on "Pull Me Under" for validation. The band and producer hit it off and shared the prospect of getting to collaborate one day although he was in Colorado and they were based out of NYC.
A few years later Consider the Source's Tour was cut short due to a global pandemic and they didn't exactly know what to do with themselves. For the first time in their career they were forced to head home from a full schedule with no particular agenda. With one band member relocating to Asheville, NC they thought this could be the perfect location and opportunity to work on an album with Prater. The band began writing new songs remotely for the first time ever, discussing parts over Zoom meetings and assembling demos from tracks recorded in their respective homes. Once the material was ready the rest of the band drove from NY and David Prater drove from Colorado to meet "in the middle" and hunker up together in Asheville for the project.
The house was transformed into a full makeshift recording studio with the band, Producer and an engineer all in the main living room completely surrounded by gear. They took a couple days to play the songs together for the first time and finalize the arrangements before beginning tracking. The band had never really worked with a Producer before and here they were getting the full experience; living together, eating together and hearing stories about one of their favorite albums throughout the whole process. In just about a week and half's time the band completed the recording process with all the jam sections played entirely live after not getting to play together for an extended period, capturing a rare type of energy. They celebrated on a final night together by driving their instruments down the road to play an outdoor show at a brewery to a sold out crowd of fans, even debuting one of the newly recorded songs as a special treat.
Pre-orders for "The Stare" are live now at:
https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/consider-the-source
"The Stare" Track Listing:
Trial By Stone (13:22)
I Can See My Eyes (6:37)
Mouthbreather (9:18)
New World Čoček (9:35)
Preemptive Vengeance (5:06)
Produced by David Prater
All songs written by Consider the Source except New World Čoček, that was written by MATT J. DARRIAU.
