"Diss is a one-man show...Greenhorn is a visionary CD."
–Music Monthly Magazine
"Uplifting! Heartfelt, Strong Conviction!!, and just plain Inspiring!!!!!
What can I say about this CD??? I cannot stop listening to it!! There is honestly not one song that I dislike. Have not been able to buy a cd and just plain love each and every song since the likes of, Big Country, South Africa's Johnny Clegg & Savuka, and U2!!!! Diss is such a talented songwriter and musician. The songs and music just grabs at the heart and emotions and takes the listener on an unforgettable journey one wishes wouldn't end:) I for one shall definitely order past cd's as well as any new music he puts out. Music has become so generic these days , and I had fallen into a rut about buying only music from the past. Now thanks to Diss, I'm more open to search out those great songwriter/musicians yet to be discovered. Tom, You've got the flame, run with it baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
–Sonjar l. Harvey
"Refreshing, uplifting, great CD. Making our wet Scottish summer seem brighter,Thank you!!!"
–J. J. Mullen
"Wow. You have taken it to another level. The album SOUNDS incredible. And performance-wise...... It's like you truly found your voice. Every vocal on this record sounds like you've been singing the songs for years - you OWN every line. I am just totally blown away by this whole thing."
–Jason Narducy, from the band Rockets Over Sweden (Chicago, Ill.)
"Excellent! Have had this CD for a week now and it's not been out of my CD player. The title track Greenhorn is just brilliant. I would advise anyone to give this artist a try, you won't be disappointed."
–Tom Elliott
"Very Cool and Original. I like this a lot. This is very tightly produced, very pro sounding, it would come across as too polished if not for the semi-rawness of the vocals and obvious passion of the musicians involved. Well done. I'll listen to this a lot. Great job!"
–Brooklyn, New York
"Nice, it is glad, with an influence of punk, more with the soul in the universe. I love it" [Diss: "I'm not exactly sure what he just said, but I think it's a compliment."]
–Sao Paulo, Brazil
"Interesting sound - can't quite place it. The production is top-notch. Everything is balanced well. It's definitely unique. The singer is confident and passionate."
–Norman, Oklahoma
"I really like the drums. Nice and clear. General production is very good. Vocalist sounds accomplished, and I quite like the voice. I also think the harmonies are good. The song reminds me slightly of Tom Petty, actually, though I'm not sure why." [Diss: "Neither am I!"]
–Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom
"Well done. Great guitar sound, original vocals."
–Madrid, Spain
"Cool. Good drums, beautiful guitar work. I like this."
– San Marcos, California
"SOUNDS GREAT. YES!!!!!!!!! HARD AND TO THE POINT. I LIKE THE DYNAMICS OF THE PIECE. GOOD MELODY & HOOK. LOVE THE INSTRUMENTAL AND TIGHTNESS."
– Pembroke Pines, Florida
"THIS IS COOL. Original...lots of hooks, good vocals very catchy. I love the fact that you are actually singing...lol."
– Miramar, Florida
Here are some reviews from Diss' last project, the band The Dissidents. Under the name "The Dissidents," Diss released two CDs, Valiant and Gunnysack.
"Conviction, passion, songwriting skills, good production and a message. It's in here. Seems The Dissidents achieve all these on their latest release Gunnysack. The trio of main songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist Tom Kercheval, Ray Biba (drums) and Joanie Williams (backing vocals) have creatively combined to present this ten-song effort.
Influenced by the likes of early 'melodic guitar bands' like the Who, Clash, U2 and Big Country, The Dissidents make use of the layered guitar sound without it becoming too heavy or overdriven. As a result, the CD is interestingly accessible to a few formats. For example, the title track comes off as driving, intense, and with an alternative edge. Also in this energetic vein, "Eyes of the Dead Man" is a frothing, upbeat, exciting, and edgy song. By contrast, the last track, "Little One," is a well done thoughtful acoustic-based number that has a distant, moody, dreamy vibe. Also in the more set back style is "Somebody Loves You." With its lilting Celtic soundscape, it conjures a more folky side.
All the songs are crafted rather well and the arrangements unfold then typically build nicely into mostly catchy choruses without leading the listener astray. The messages in the lyrics are positive and not 'preachy' at all, remaining quite simple in fact. Although, at times I was not as consistently elated with the vocal style (personal opinions aside), it was the conviction with which they are delivered that absolutely shines through. Mix-wise, I liked the subtle changes in the mix and vocal effects/harmonies that assisted and played into the mood of the respective songs. The mix always remained clear and balanced, and every word was perfectly intelligible - a good thing in this case, I think. This self-produced collection stands on its own as defining a band that has a clue as to who they are. Nice work, guys (and gal)." — Tommy Mullins, Music Monthly Magazine
The following comments come from various internet sources featuring online reviews of individual songs. Some of these comments have been edited for the sake of brevity, and all refer to songs from the two CDs (Valiant and Gunnysack) released by The Dissidents.
“I like it already - just what I wanted to hear. Starts off with beautiful guitars. I like this song and I'm going to find out who you are so I can hear more.” — Delaware
"Excuse my language - you are #$@*ing awesome!!!! Gunnysack! WOW!” — Great Britain
“Extra wide, lush production showcases a Paul Westerburg style power pop number that's not afraid to rock out with a multitude of guitars doing pick slides and feeding back to a powerful backbeat. There are elements of classic pop song structure and choruses with harmony and catchiness on par with XTC. The arrangement is so hook-laden, with choruses in all the right places it just begs to get airplay!” — Austin, Texas
“Great voice. Great emotion.Good work!” — Toronto, Canada
“I like your musical style. Creative and really rocking. I hope you keep that up in your other songs.” — Luftenberg, Austria
“LOVE the guitar sound! Kind of anthem rockish? Good work.” — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“Greatness. I really admired this song on so many levels, the intensity came across with flowing melodies at perfect times througout the song. I love the melody I only wish more bands would stick out this particular style of rock mixed punk - it really gets me there!! — Garland, Texas
“I'm liking this one. It's pop rock with a definite edge. Great melody and some nice lyrics. — New Brunswick, Canada
“This is a great song. The thing that really got me was the lyrics. You can't get better than that. — Massachusetts
“The New Anthem Rock - Good stuff. I, too, like so many people, am often too cynical for my own good so I admit that I like this song despite the change-the-world lyric & the clearly expensive production, which would usually put me off. The sounds are good, the melody is engaging, the arrangement is effective. — Orange, California
“Cool rock that doesn’t suck RIGHT HERE! Cool vibe. More believeable than 90 percent of what I've heard so far. Nice change. Not enough bands are able to create tension and keep a song moving. Very cool. — New York
“Vocals work well, good lyrics. It makes me smile. — Conway, Arkansas
“Wow, I was extremely impressed with this track. I love it...won't be able to get it out of my head. — Quincy, Illinois
“Quite good with a hit potential and different sound!! Cool vocals and arrangement!! This is good and I really like the originality!! — Hudiksvall, Sweden
“Kinda reminded me of Big Country - Scottish-ish rhythms and all. Great hook! — Singapore
"An unashamedly positive tune that did not make me ill--My god...a song with a positive message... Nice to hear something like this in the Limp Bizkit/Korn pre-apocalypse. — Chicago, Ill.
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