Tension Splash

Blur, the new EP from Tension Splash coming on 30 May, has been three decades in the making.
Advance reviews: “Razor sharp riffs . . . a heavy groove and unmistakable lead vocals that will pull you right in and never let up!” (Eddie Steele, Music Director, WJOE). "A testament to resilience, talent, and the timeless appeal of big-guitar sound . . . a seamless fusion of the old and the new, encapsulating the band's journey through the decades” (Music Frets).

After forming in Ann Arbor in 1992 and releasing a nationally-acclaimed self-titled album (1993) and follow up EP (Soak, 1994) with gold-record producer/engineer Tim Patalan (Sponge), the band went on long-term hiatus in 1997. While reuniting with Tim to remix the album and EP for digital re-release in 2019, T-Splash unearthed four unfinished tracks in Tim’s vault. When bass player Mike Bertsch died suddenly in 2020, the remaining members (Gray, vocals/guitar; Nick, lead guitar; Sean, drums) decided to honor him by completing these tracks, collaborating again with Tim. The result blurs the line between past and future, memory and modern, vintage and cutting edge. The opening all-out grunge-rocker Willing features blistering harmonies from Stephen Richards of Taproot, followed by the southern-tinged Firefly, which pays tribute to Mike. The haunting arrangement of the lead single, Scared, evokes the early days of the alternative movement, before the closing 7:45AM / Breathe builds to a show-stopping climax.