LINE-UP:
Brent Doerner - lead vocals, guitars
Brian Doerner - drums, vocals
Guest:
Kelly Kerelick – guitar on “I’d Hide A Body For You”

SINGLES:
1.) “I Giant” –This intro opens with Brian playing a snare/tom-tom/bass drum pattern.  Because of the drum intro it is very easy to see the band opening the set list up with this song. (if you could imagine the stage is blacked-out and you hear nothing but the band opening with this drum intro.)  The second measure Brent kicks-in the rhythm guitar track.  It is also at this time that bass line kicks-in.  There was a few empty spots within Brent’s rhythm guitar arrangement, so for the third measure of the musical intro there was a few keyboard notes.  This filled in those empty spots.  For the chorus I don’t think Brent changed the rhythm guitar much however, he did turn they gain down.  Brent used a real strange for vocal effect.  At first, I must admit I didn’t care for it much however, the more I listened to it the more it grew on me.  There was a rhythm guitar change connecting the first and second chorus.  Brent switched back to the main rhythm arrangement for the second verse.  During the musical bridge there was a musical breakdown and vocal section that connected verse with the main chorus.  Brent changed the vocal effect for the musical chorus.  It sounded as if he added the effect separate from his vocals.  Giving these the vocals a double-tracked effect.  There was a minor lead guitar solo connecting the chorus the third chorus.  At times the solo was overdubbed with a second lead guitar.  After the solo there was a second chorus.  The last lyric line of the chorus consisted of no vocal effect. The coda consisted of a chorus.

(click above for audio & video)

2.) “I’d Hide a Body for You” – This intro opens with a pre-intro. There was a cymbal crash that kicked-in Brent’s rhythm progression.  There are three rhythm guitar progressions over the top of drum fills before the main musical intro kicks-in.  At this point the main musical intro kicks in.  The main musical intro consisted of one of the greatest musical guitar riffs I have heard probably since the seventies.  After the first set of two rhythm progressions there was a double-bass drum pattern. The second time around there was a musical rest that kicked in the verse.  Though Brent used another vocal effect for this track, I liked this effect better than the one on “I-Giant”.  There was a snare fill and rhythm guitar change for the chorus.  After the first chorus there was lead guitar solo section.  At the end of each lyric line there was a single non-effect lyric “body”, after each chorus.  Brian changed the drum rhythm for the choruses, The music arrangement connecting the first chorus and second verse there was a few lead guitar licks.  After the second chorus there was a major lead guitar solo. At the end of the solo the twins kind of slowed the rhythm down just for a few beats.  The band did the samething for the coda. 

(click above for audio & video)

3.) "Happily Never After"-3.) “Happily Never After” –This intro opens with a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controller very similar to the effect Eddie used on the opening of “Why Can’t This Be Love”.  The basic different is I am 100 percent sure that it is not the same one and it had a deeper sound effect that the one on “Why Can’t…”.  After a few seconds Brian kicks-in the drum.  After one measure the verse kicks-in.  The last lyric of the verse was carried out just a little further than the previous one.  Connecting the verse with the chorus there was a lead guitar riff.  The second lyric line of the chorus was done with a different vocal effect.  Connecting the second chorus with the third verse there was a short keyboard arrangement.  There was a couple measures of the song that had a Jeff Lynn of ELO feel to them.  The second verse is there only time that you can really say there was a rhythm guitar arrangement.  There was a keyboard arrangement for the last chorus and coda.

(click above for audio & video)

   The first time I ever heard or saw the band Helix was in May of ’84. I had moved to the town where my family was from to live with my father after the passing of my mother. It would be at least another full year before the local cable company they used would get MTV. The closest thing the cable company had was on the USA Network. It was a programmed titled, ‘Night Flight’. For those that don’t know online visual-arts magazine and variety television show that aired of Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 EST. Night Flight consisted of a four hour block of Night Flight’s own programming which included Heavy Metal videos. This was where I saw the videos for the Helix singles, “Heavy Metal Love”, “Rock You” and their version of “Gimmie Gimmie Good Lovin’” a cover song originally recorded by 1960’s bubble gum Pop Rock act Crazy Elephant. It must have been fate for me to become a fan of Helix because when my brother came hope for the funeral he gave me a bag of cassette tapes which happen to include the Helix albums: ’White Lace & Black Leather’, ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ and ‘Walkin’ on the Razor’s Edge’. Hearing the album’s in their entirety and they became my favorite band. Fast-forward a few years and a buddy of mine would order me a copy of Helix’s first album titled, ‘Breaking Loose’. Lord and behold it to my wildest imagination and credited in the liner notes I see not only Brent Doerner on guitar however on drums was Brian Doerner.
   These three singles are taken off My Wicked Twin’s fourth release titled, ‘Nobody Approved’.  ‘Nobody Approved’ contains thirteen tracks and was released in March or April.  Being a fan of My Wicked Twin I had already planned on buying this release even unheard.  However, after listening to these three singles just solidified my justification on buying it.  Brent’s guitar work on these three tracks are some of the best I have heard him play however, some of the note arrangements just may be his best so far.  The lyric arrangements of the songs really show Brent’s writing talent.  Normally I would be throwing a fit over the use of vocal effects.  However, Brent makes the effect work especially on “I-Giant”.  Of these three songs when I compare it to the rest of the songs on this release “I’d Hide A Body For You” may wind-up not only being the best song on the album.  However may end up being my all-time favorite Wicked Twin song.
   If you are into solid songs with great hooks, ‘Nobody Approved’ will be a release you will definitely want to check out!!!