The Challis Effect - no one will remember your name

The Challis Effect

No One Will Remember Your Name
self-released; 2013

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

After you listen to The Challis Effect you would swear that it’s an entire band but in fact it is just one Boise, Idaho native named Matthew “Axl” Brammer. The project started in 2011 and released two albums, Your Heart Was Built On A Graveyard Of Lies and All The Secrets You Thought You Kept.  The third album, No One Will Remember Your Name, was released December 2013. Brammer’s resume is quite impressive as he also produced and engineered his own album since he graduated from The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. The guy also also plays guitar, bass, piano, drums and he sings.

There is no hiding or denying that the songs from No One Will Remember Your Name are pretty much 1990’s grunge style songs with little deviation. The riffs sound like a combination of something you would here from Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains or Pearl Jam and I could actually say the same thing about his voice. Brammer has a very thick Scott Strap, Eddie Vedder, Scott Weiland type voice but even more exaggerated. It is not as pretty as Eddie Vedder. Brammer sounds more masculine, like he has been drinking whiskey for the past six hours and drives trucks for 14 hours a day. 

I’m sure there is still a market for post 90’s grunge but the music is so overtly influenced by that genre it is hard to imagine why you wouldn't just listen to an album that was made 20 years ago. That being said the songs are well written and are consistent throughout. Listening to one song on the album will give you a very accurate idea of what to expect from the rest of the album.

The album starts with a solid song called “Regret.” One of the first things that I noticed is how good the recording sounded. The acoustic guitars sounded warm, with a lot of body, the drums sounded full and organic and Brammer’s voice sat well in the mix. Another highlight was “Pity,” which revolved around a hypnotic yet melodic guitar riff. 

I have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Brammer’s voice at first but The Challis Effect started to grow on me the more I spun the album, Overall, Brammer is delivering songs that are rooted in one style and shows that he knows exactly what he wants. If you can’t get enough grunge style tunes than you just found your next favorite album in No One Will Remember Your Name.

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