Tension Splash – Blur (2025)
Like Michael J. Fox in Back To The Future, come with me on our hypothetical DeLorean and fly back to the year 1992. Take a step back into the past and go with me to discover the rock band Tension Splash.
Alright, Nicole, what the hell are you talking about, I hear you say. Well, it’s about a group formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, entering the grunge scene with passion in their hearts and instruments in their hands. After their formation in 1992, Gray Motsinger (vocals and guitar), Nick Field (lead guitar), Sean Field (drums) and Mike Bertsch (bass) went on to release a critically acclaimed self-titled album in 1993, with the follow-up EP Soak making a splash in 1994… then the band went into hiatus in 1997.
Upon the unfortunate passing of Bertsch, the remaining three members came together in 2020 to not only pay honour to their friend but also reintroduce Tension Splash to the world. Looking at some tracks left in the studio to gather dust for a couple of decades, the US-based lads collaborated with award-winning producer Tim Patalan to recreate the forgotten songs. Bring yourself back to 2025, and Tension Splash presents the union of those four tracks in their EP, Blur. Thirty minutes of “blurring the line between past and future…”, Blur saunters through the realm of vintage grunge and rock, pulling people back to the 1990s with its hard-hitting sound.
Beginning with the track ‘Willing’, Tension Splash toss you into a whirlpool of sound with a rush of powerful grunge hitting you between the eyes from the outset. A concoction of crashing drums and scorching guitars, it places you immediately in a hurricane of kaleidoscopic music. Whipped about with hits of classic rock – the fantastic soaring guitar solo driving the rock sound – you become quite lost in the fervour. Heady and overwhelming if you’re not prepared for the immediate blast of rock, one might wonder whether you’re willing to continue… the answer is yes.
In ‘Willing’, the trio was joined by Taproot’s Stephen Richards, laying his gritty vocals across the melody, but ‘Firefly’ brings us back to Tension Splash with Motsinger taking on the vocals. A step down from the fury of ‘Willing’, ‘Firefly’ brings the tempo down a notch, shifting from ferocity to smoother rock tone. Silky and soft, although the tinge of heavier music peeps from the back, this second track is languid, mellifluous, and oozes warmth. Interestingly, while ‘Firefly’ is soothing and easy, it is one of the weightier songs on Blur, paying tribute to Mike Bertsch and delving into the “way time slips away from us all”.
Keeping the silky smoothness of ‘Firefly’, ‘Scared’ is the true eye of a storm turning toward a breath of bluesy rock. Finally, we hit the final ‘7:45 AM / Breathe’ – a ten-and-a-half-minute walk showcasing the raw power and passion of Tension Splash. Offering each individual a moment for independent domination of the melody, drums bring a pulsating beat while guitars fly overhead, oozing vintage rock in every note. I can easily imagine ‘7:45 / Breathe’ being played at Woodstock as audiences twirl about in a blissful haze.
Find out more about Tension Splash on their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was introduced to us by Obsidian PR.
