– by Brian Koscho –
The X Bolex began as a solo project for then Small Object a drummer Nate Scheible while he was still living in Athens, Ohio. But, The X Bolex is now a full band made up of some of the greatest musicians in the Cleveland music scene. Nate also co-runs Zombie Proof Studios and recorded “This Time..†with fellow engineer Paul Maccarrone. In addition to Scheible (who has spent/spends time in Cleveland acts such as Self Destruct Button, Neo Nothing, The Washout Corporation, and Thee Scarcity of Tanks), the band is filled out by Matt Majesky (State of Ohio), Lou Arocho (Small Object a), and Dale Ursic (Homostupids, State of Ohio). Scheible’s songwriting has always been spectacular as have X Bolex’s previous albums, but there is something special that develops on their new record.
“This Time Next Year You’ll Be Oxidizing Stone†opens with the schizophrenic “Mastodon†which almost puts the listener to sleep only to wake them right back up before swelling into a haze of Ursic’s drums and vibraphone from Kyle Farrell of Youngstown’s (the) giants of gender. Scheible’s attention to composition pays off with “Ice and Sand†which sits beautifully somewhere between Gastr Del Sol and The Sea and Cake. The album finds its climax with the surging beginning of “Mastoid Process†which sounds almost like something you would find on a Yes record and then turns into a beautiful backdrop for the dueling horns of Lou Arocho and Dan Wenninger. The true gem of the album comes at the very end with the gorgeous “When People Die At The Circus†which captures the band at its finest. The song’s lyrics discuss what I (as one who considers Nate to be a very close friend) can only imagine are statements about himself, and his likes and dislikes. Including “horn arrangements from early Chicagoâ€, “earl grey tea†and my own personal favorite “a penchant for brown shoesâ€.
Listen: www.myspace.com/thexbolex