The Ominous Seapods' second album, The Guide to Roadside Ecology, was recorded in the studio instead of at a gig and it shows. By 1995, the lineup of Dana Monteith (guitar/vocals), Max Verna (guitar/vocals), Tom Pirozzi (bass/vocals), Brian Mangini (keyboards), and Ted Marotta (drums) had definitely solidified. By this time the band was playing 200 gigs a year. The production on this disc is improved from 1994's
Econobrain.
The Ominous Seapods' strength is teasing nuances out of the melodies, if not strictly in songwriting. Drummer Marotta once said that little dynamic shifts can affect how and where the song progresses.
The Ominous Seapods are about those organic nuances and about having a good time. Overall this is an improved effort. ~ JT Griffith