Greg Rossino

Sports Co-Editor

“You live, you love, you die, each you fade away. Still you try and try, but you know, some things in life will never go your way.
The haunting, yet beautiful chorus of the song “It Starts Where It Ends.”
The lyrics that explain perfectly just how mature Perpetual Groove has become since forming a band back in 2001.
“LiveLoveDie,” Perpetual Groove’s third studio album, is more than just a “jam band” studio album.
It’s full of songs with uplifting and thought-provoking lyrics as well as ground-shaking, fist-pumping instrumentals.
One of the strongest attributes for the album is how well the songs translated from the stage to the studio.
The majority of the album was heavily road-tested during that two-year span, with the oldest of the songs, “It Starts Where It Ends,” written in fall of 2004 while songs like “Speed Queen,” “Legends of Preston” and “So Much as Goodbye” were written in spring 2005.
The interesting thing about the album is the musical direction in which PGroove leans.
The band took a chance and left its trademark spacey jam-elements and sequences behind for a much harder rock sound.
Their chance paid off nicely.
Unlike its past albums, PGroove found a way to condense its songs into about a five-minute span, while still capturing the elements of a live show.
This allows the album to get to the point quickly for firsttime listeners, yet quench the thirsts of long time fans.
Prime examples are in the song “Speed Queen.”
This instrumental normally clocks in at around 15 minutes during any given show.
However, for the album, the song finishes up at just under eight minutes and does not miss a beat or disappoint.
Another song worthy of recognition is “Crapshoot.”
The song is based around a heavy drumbeat as well as a thundering bass, but the lyrics are what make the song complete.
“‘Cause I can’t see anymore of me taking part in this sad, sad deal. As they say, ‘what will be will be, this time never felt so real,’” is the chorus sung by lead singer and guitarist, Brock Butler.
“LiveLoveDie” is a record full of music that is both moving and at times jaw-dropping. But the lyrics really make the album great.
Perpetual Groove took a chance with making a totally different kind of album and succeeded on all fronts.