In 1999, Philippine rock band
Sandwich released its debut album,
Grip Stand Throw. Several
Sandwich personnel are members of other local groups: vocalist/guitarist Marc Abaya and vocalist/guitarist Raymund Marasigan both belong to the Eraserheads, where Marasigan plays drums, and signed to BMG Records Philippines, which released
Grip Stand Throw, while drummer Mike Dizon is a member of Teeth, signed to Warner Music Philippines. "Cheese Factor Set to 9," opens on an alluring, reverb-drenched guitar figure that sets the stage for vocals sung in a dreamy, detached manner. The tempo of the vocals is much slower than the pace of the instrumentation, which gives the song a sense of stasis. The song has a tempo change where both the instrumentation and vocals move at a frenetic pace. "Butterfly Carnival" bears a musical kinship to "Cheese Factor Set to 9," and also features an engaging, raw-edged guitar riff as well as dreamy, somewhat airy vocals in which a significant number of the notes are sustained at half-note (two beats) lengths or more. While many songs contain interesting instrumentation, which seems appealing at first glance, a closer examination reveals that the songs lack strong melodies or melodic motifs that would give them staying power. As such, much of the music is razzle and dazzle, and not much substance. Without memorable melodies, the band's adventurism goes for naught.
Grip Stand Throw took "Album of the Year" at the 1999 NU107 Rock Awards, where "Butterfly Carnival" won "Song of the Year". ~ David Gonzales