In Memory of CONFESSOR Guitarist Ivan Colon(1970-2002)

Ivan Colon (Confessor) - January 3, 1970-February 15, 2002

Confessor's music is an invitation to think differently about what is possible with death metal-level, thick, crushing heaviness. It is asking an important question: Is growling or screaming the only possibility for truly heavy music?!

Ivan Colon was a founding guitarist for the Raleigh, North Carolina-based doom band Confessor from 1986 until 1993. During this period, the band developed their technical doom metal, the genre term used by Metal Archives. The band’s debut album, Condemned, was released in 1991 through Earache Records. This is where fans will find Colon’s musical contributions. Metal Archives states that he was with Confessor until 1994 when they ended for the first time. The band was reactivated in 2002, which is the year that Ivan Colon died.

The 1991 Confessor album presents music that, if you listen just to the instruments and forget about the vocals for a minute, sounds like death metal. The American, heavy-duty, thick guitar, the riffs, and the drumming all sound like they would fit the late 1980s or 1991 death metal era of the album's release. It’s not just the guitar; it’s the drumming. It is a heavy-hitting style. It’s not blasting speed, but it’s a strong, physical, punishing style of playing, with a feeling that the rhythm patterns are weaving in and out of a straight line while still coming back to the beat.

There is no growling!

The singing is high and intense, like a serious traditional heavy metal air-raid siren in pain or agony. What?! Well, at least to me, it doesn't sound triumphant or cheerful.

WARNING: I suspect that you will not like the vocals! Let’s assume that is the case. If you don't mind, and if you bear with me, I want to invite you to something that might seem strange: Give it a real chance. To the metal mind, after decades of hearing screaming, yelling, and growling along with heavy-duty guitars, hearing singing with this type of heavy music sounds a bit different, for sure. In addition, the music is a bit on the technical-progressive side for 1991, in a doomy style, so that makes things a bit different, too.

MY POINT: When the guitars are super heavy, maybe the vocalists need to ask themselves some questions about what they want to do. The answer must not be, "Well, I guess just growling will do." There are other options. Granted, some growling is excellent, and there are great examples of seriously skilled growling, but there are tons of examples of lazy, generic, microphone-cupping, autopilot screaming and growling that is literally only there because the band doesn’t have the guts to become an instrumental band, because supposedly you must have some dude at the front making farm animal noises.

Confessor suggests that there are other options. If more bands were brave or creative enough to try it out, then what Confessor is doing would not sound strange. I don't mean copy Confessor; I mean explore other vocal approaches, including within extreme metal vocals, too, of course.

Ivan Colon passed away on February 15, 2002, shortly before the classic lineup began discussions regarding a reunion. His recorded legacy is centered on the Condemned LP and the 1992 Confessor EP, examples of progressive doom metal. The band continued with the 2005 album Unraveled, which was dedicated to the memory of Ivan Colon.

Confessor - Condemned (OFFICIAL VIDEO)