| · Martin L. Gore’s heir apparent…
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. When imitation becomes obsession, it’s normally a destructive force, but, sometimes it pays dividends. In the film Rock Star, for example, when the young and obsessive lead singer of a tribute band lands a job singing for his idols, his obsession is rewarded. This is based loosely on the real life story of Ohio’s Tim Owen, the star-struck lead singer of a Judas Priest cover band who walked into Rob Halford’s job when the mighty vox parted ways with Priest.
Color Theory presents Depeche Mode has the potential of art imitating art imitating reality. The album is Huntington Beach’s singer-keyboardist-songwriter Brian Hazard’s work of obsession. With a voice that even true Depeche Mode fans couldn’t distinguish from that of sometime singer Martin L. Gore (and even a young Dave Gahan, the band’s lead singer), Color Theory’s sixth release is a Depeche Mode fan’s wet dream. Covering a number of DM’s "underappreciated" songs, this album is homage incarnate. Nine covers, two musical interludes and an original – which some European websites have attributed to DM – makes for a work that any DM fan could mistake for a remix album. I would never have guessed that "I Want You Now," "It Doesn’t Matter," and "Leave In Silence" were anything but long lost digitally remastered remixes of classic but not mainstream DM tunes. Unbelievable.
Regardless of whether Hazard’s mimicry is sincere or psychotic, I consider this nothing but another DM album. Frankly, this is better than Gahan’s last effort anyway. If Gahan lives long enough for Gore to leave him, Brian Hazard is waiting in the wings, set list in hand, ready to fly. I just wonder what he looks like in a leather mini…
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