Snakedragon - Orphan Island

Snakedragon

Orphan Island
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
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Snakedragon is the solo effort of Marc Kahn. It seems as if Kahn is releasing a number of EP’s that will make up his album Orphan Island. So far he has released three songs and his next EP is scheduled for October 26th, 2016.

According to Kahn Orphan Island is a spiritual inspired, rock experiment. Apparently Kahn is a student of Toltec and Mesoamerican teachings and believes music is delivered to him from other realms. Apparently these other realms deliver music that sounds like a ’90s alternative band. That is unequivocally the vibe I was getting within these three songs. For Kahn the lyrics revolve around overcoming adversity to becoming our own gods.

He opens with “Prepare For Cycle Spin.” It’s the most energetic of the songs. This song wouldn’t be on the fringe of the alternative scene. It’s a catchy, straightforward song that is commercially viable. I can’t say there’s much experimentation from a standard pop format. It doesn't take long for the song to start rocking out. There were some inventive fills here and there but song largely revolves around his vocals.

“Further” is another straightforward tune that is catchy and more or less a pop song that embraces the aesthetics of ’90s rock. Kahn plows through distorted power chords and well sung harmonies. 

He closes with “Devilish Stains” which is perhaps the most commercially viable song of the three. Once the song gets to the chorus I couldn't but help think of a number of hard rock bands I’ve heard on the radio in the last ten years.

These three songs will appeal to a broad audience. The three songs on this first batch certainly aren’t niche. It seems as if Kahn set off a broad net with these songs. One thing I need to mention is that the three songs are at noticeably different volumes. This issue could easily be resolved by a mastering engineer and I think this is something that Kahn will want to rectify. 

Overall, these songs seem to give us a very good idea of the type of album he is going to release. If you enjoyed these tunes I would make sure to mark it in your calendar and keep checking back for more music.

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