Under-rated albums/artists: Part 5

In this instalment, we have "Medication" - a band that hardly seemed to even make a ripple on the rock scene (in the UK at least), which is not only a shame - as the material here is of such a high standard, but it also a bit baffling when you consider that the band counted within its members, both Whitfield Crane and Logan Mader.

If your only experience of Whit Crane is as a member of Ugly Kid Joe, then you really need to get with the program (as the kids say?), as he has remained a constant in the world of music, albeit in a less noticeable and less mainstream way. After UKJ he went on to sing (briefly) with Life Of Agony, Medication, and Another Animal. As a side note, Ugly Kid Joe have recently reformed, which could be interesting as they were a better band than many give them credit for.

Anyway, back to the subject – Medication. The band was formed by Logan and Whit after Whit left Life Of Agony (an odd pairing that was never going to last), and stylistically I would say that they inhabit a place somewhere between goth metal and early 90’s grunge. This may not sound like a winning combination on paper, but the music on offer here is of a high enough quality and contains enough hooks to keep you coming back for more. Whit has a strong voice that seems to be perfectly suited to the music, the guitars have the melodic edge of early 90’s (and modern) Paradise Lost, and the production is the icing on the cake (to coin a very much over-used phrase) which ensures that the songs sound both crunchy and at the same time, strangely fuzzy (in a deliberate grunge way).

You will, of course, find songs here that are reminiscent of other bands such as Stone Temple Pilots (Walk Away), Paradise Lost (No Direction), and elsewhere the influence of Type O Negative, David Bowie, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, etc, but I hasten to add that the band has added a flourish of its own and the end result is very satisfying. If you are looking for a latter era grunge record with a difference, you could do a lot worse than to check out the “Medication” EP or the full-length “Prince Valium”.

Sadly, due to internal issues (read as “musical/personal differences” if you will), the band was short lived. They did, however, leave behind a nice collection of songs for us to enjoy.

Here are 2 examples:

No Direction:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1VDMhYklUo

Something New: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTydunchXQ