Why I love this song! || Jason Richardson & Luke Holland — Tendinitis

A blend of musicality, technical mastery, and composition at its very finest. One of the best instrumental songs ever, by some of the finest musicians alive today.

I still remember the first time I ever heard this song. At the time I was living in The Hague with my business partner and his wife, working in Amsterdam.

It was a Friday evening, and I had been working late. I got home, had dinner, and then partook in some (legal in the Netherlands) recreational end-of-the-week celebrations.

I retired to my room, and with my headphones on, stumbled onto Nik Nocturnal’s channel, back when he was still pushing out cover songs for new songs within a day of their release.

He was doing a live stream on Youtube, trying to learn this particular song. Tendinitis, by Jason Richardson and Luke Holland, neither of whom I had been familiar with at that stage.

I joined when Nik was in the process of learning the main riff on guitar, so I missed the introduction and the song samples, and it was just him, trying to learn that intro riff. I was completely taken aback by the riff and the song. I wrote down the name, lest I forget.

I watched for a bit, then fell asleep.

The next day, I remembered to check out the song, and found the track on Youtube, clicked and waited for it to start.

When the track started, it felt incredibly fast. So fast, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

I thought to myself… “Jesus Christ, how fucking high was I last night!?!?”

The track sounded so much faster in the daylight. I didn’t understand. I checked the settings on my phone, but yes, it was at 100%.

So it turns out, Nik, as he usually does, was slowing down the track to figure out the song. That was the first version I heard, and the tempo didn’t feel slow or anything.

So, naturally, the next day, when I heard the song at full speed for the first time, I was completely blown away.

I never saw a cover of the track on Nik’s channel. I suspect that he perhaps could not pull it off. It is not a criticism of Nik. He is a talented guitarist, make no mistake. But this is Jason Richardson. There are only a few guitarists that will be able to cover any of his stuff.

Jason Richardson & Luke Holland — Tendinitis || Overall score 17.3/20

Sonic Magic || 3/5

The production on this track, though nothing to sneer at, is not my favourite. The guitar rhythm tone feels like it lacks a bit of life, which given the incredible technical delivery, perhaps is a decision in support of note articulation rather than sonic finesse. The lead tone, by contrast, is absolutely dreamy.

The drums don’t sound quite as good as the production on Luk Holland’s cover songs from his Youtube channel, especially in later years.

Overall, the sonic stage isn’t quite comparable to some of the big names that inspired Jason Richardson.

Musicianship and technical proficiency || 5/5

I think there is a case to be made for Jason Richardson being one of the most technically proficient guitar players on the planet. In fact, I would place him at number one by default. Musicality aside, from a purely technical viewpoint, he stands back for no other person on earth.

Luke Holland, is certainly one of the most technical drummers, but his blend of unique snare work, cymbal work and kick patterns place him in a category of one. His snare and cymbal work is enough to differentiate him on a technical level from most other drummers. He is the full package.

Overall composition & Surprise || 5/5

This song takes you on such a spectacular, coherent journey. This song has everything. Build up, tension, release, surprise, intensity, serenity. It is a spectacular bit of instrumental composition, on par with the best of Dream Theatre and Liquid Tension Experiment, but arguably more in line with my specific preferences.

Melody/Riff || 5/5

When the main riff kicks in, it is unlike anything you have ever heard. It may not have the Orion-like satisfaction deeply embedded, but it is the first time I have ever heard a riff like this. It sounds like Tom Searle on fast-forward. Epic!

Drums & Percussion || 5/5

The drums in this track is a very precise blend between off-beat accents, staccato playing, aggressive tempo driving groove, and finesse. The cymbal work in the bridge, along with the kick pattern…

I have watched this playthrough, maybe 15 times, and shared it with every drummer I know, on more than one occasion. I marvel at the composition. How incredible!!

Feel || 4/5

The percussive/melodic feel of this track is very deliberately quite interrupted. I like how it surprises, how it varies between intense and serene. The off-beat elements. It is a dense piece of music, and it demands attention, more than it pushes you to move your head or body.

Emotional epicness || 3/5

This song has a lot of emotional connections. It has aggression, it has precision.

It does not have that drama that will make you tear up when you hear it live for the first time, like Orion. Then again, it was not designed for that.

When you hear this, you are left in awe, rather than shock.

Recommended tracks by Jason Richardson & Luke Holland

You can seriously have a look at all of Luke Holland’s drum remixes. They are all spectacular, especially the non-metal remixes! (a few are listed below)

• Luke Holland — Skrillex ‘Cinema’ Revisited — Drum Remix
• Luke Holland || BTS (ft Halsey) — Boy With Luv
• Luke Holland — BTS — ‘Idol’ Drum Remix

From Jason Richardson, sadly, I have no sincere recommendations, as I don’t typically like the overly technical style of music. It often sounds a bit lifeless to my ear. It sounds like music made for other musicians, for the most part.

One of the tracks he released in 2022 is called Sparrow, and I must admit, I quite like it. Or at least most of it. And then there are sections I absolutely love!!