"This is a multi-talented songwriter with a lot of ambition who has created a strong debut with Higher. This 'semi-concept' album is on a much more advanced level than most self-released music." -Mike Korn

I worked on Higher for a period of approximately a year and a half. For a long time, it was my life and soul, originally starting off as a silly concept album about a kid in High School. It evolved so much beyond that point, having a completely different sound and style than I intended, instead becoming something that sound like a mix of Rush’s Moving Pictures and The Dark Side of the Moon, yet, considering the story line I had in mind, I can say with much confidence that it’s better it ended up the way it is now.

I put extra special care into making the album feel like it was a continuous piece of music, but I feel that despite the transitions to make everything seamless, every song still stands out on its own rather than the music feeling like an overlong song like so many other Progressive Rock/Metal albums on the market today. The album is also book-ended by an introductory piece of music and a conclusional piece of music. I didn’t want the book-ends to be the average fair; I really wanted them to introduce the album as not just a piece of music, but an experience with almost theatrical qualities. The intro for Gods in Hell expresses the themes of the song in auditory forms.

We begin with hearing sounds of natural and analogue things, such as animal sounds, rain, ambiance, and an acoustic instrument. Eventually, distorted and electronic sounds come crashing in to represent how technology has destroyed a life style more close to nature, while Gods in Hell discusses the possible repercussions of technology for the human race. The album is not a concept album, but each song has a specific theme, and there is a certain continuity in certain ideas on the album.

There are some things I would’ve done differently with it in retrospect; I would’ve put more effort into the production, though for a self-produced piece of music created in High School, I think it sounds fantastic. I’m proud of what I’ve done and sincerely hope that you take the time to listen to it.