I met Rich Freitas’ alter ego, Ellery Twining, while on vacation with the Mrs.

He was working, sorting records at Mystic Disc. I overheard him mention that, in a few hours, he was to begin tracking bass guitar. I introduced myself, and after a fairly lengthy back and forth coupled with an in-depth digging through the “punk” section, I came to find he was working on a new record, his comeback record.

Rich is a veteran, a drummer who’s been playing in bands in and around Connecticut for over 30 years. He hasn’t played on anything in years, though. After a particularly sour musical experience, he’s been on hiatus from the business (this writer suspects we’ll hear about said experience on the next record). That hiatus is over now.

Like most everyone else, Rich had some time to kill. While most folks were contemplating their futures; Rich chose to make a record about his past.

Revenge was Recorded between 20 October and 13 December 2021 and released January 17th, 2022. Since its release, it has enjoyed a remarkable amount of success.

The record opens with the track, “A Month of Sundays.” Here, an abrupt beginning sets up an extremely stark bass/drum/guitar groove, setting the tone of what’s to come. This is followed by the lyric, “I read my first self-help book in the third grade.”

Ellery’s delivery is part spoken word, parts singing, all heartfelt. It’s that minimalistic sound that drags you into Ellery’s world.

“Civic Duty” finds our subject in the care of Mom’s new boyfriend, Russell, while Mom is at the sidewalk hearing. Here, he sinks further into himself, unable to be heard. Culminating with his mother asking Russell, “Did you have to take these kids to the bar?” Stinging lines like this dot the whole record, taking us deep into Ellery’s psyche.

“Middle Name” is one of this writer’s faves on the record. The brushed snare and the bongos give it a Latin feel, what with the faster tempo. It culminates with the lyric, “it’s a good time to get a prosthetic limb, you know, during the war.” While the line is gut-wrenching, this writer finds himself laughing. Thanks to Ellery’s, at times, deadpan delivery.

There’s enough buzz around this record that Rich even released a video for the track “Weatherfall.” Writer and director Michelle Gemma caringly weaves video, photos, and music to highlight the lyrics to the song. Which, in this writer’s opinion, is what Revenge is all about.

Lyrically, this record is personal. It shows Rich digging deep into his past, the child of a broken family. His delivery and phrasing sit beautifully on top of the music. Produced by Eric Lichter and engineered by Guido Falivene, the sonics sound fantastic and harness the vibe that is Ellery Twining.

Ron Nizi

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