3/5
Release Date: September 20, 2008
Combining their earliest EP, a split and a few demos, Baltimore based hardcore outfit has amassed a decent, albeit short collection of (remastered) songs in I Heard These Dudes are Assholes. While in reality it is a good retrospective of the band’s earlier work packaged with a nicely put together visual counterpart of old pictures and lyrics, it is slightly disappointing to see no new material anywhere on this disc. There really isn’t much of a reason to invest in this unless you have never listened to Ruiner and believe in trying a band’s earliest work first. As far as the music is concerned, for those not familiar with the band, expect a healthy dose of fast-paced, melodic hardcore with the usual in your face lyrics. Definitely one of the better groups out there at the moment in the genre. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check them out (like sadly myself), this is an awesome place to start. [By: Jason Gardner]
The Mighty Regis do the rocking punk Celtic thing most infectiously, with mandolins a blazing, and a sound reminiscent of the Dropkick Murphy’s and the Pogues. [by Ben Tanzer]
Current album - Another Nickel for the Pope (2008)
Label/record company - none
Well-crafted and beautifully sung folkie coffee house tunes at home in Seattle, where the Autumn Electric actually hales from, and NPR pledge drives everywhere. [by Ben Tanzer]
Current album - Very Soon the Light (2008)
Label/record company - Unicorn Records
Sort of hard, sort of slamming and kind of angry, bob handily and righteously works whatever the netherworld is that exists between Korn and Linkin’ Park. [By: Ben Tanzer]
Current album - bbbob (2008)
Label/record company - none
The amazing thing about a split like this is that you get a band that is heavily embraced by the underground (Thursday) paired up with a well-versed, yet somewhat unknown band from across the left-side pond (Envy). While some might have been singing the praises of Envy’s earlier work, most of us haven’t even heard of them until finding out about this split – including myself. Yet, the amazing thing is Envy, while completely foreign by name, sounds like something I should have been listening to all along – and more than lives up to their reputation of being forefathers in their genre. Both bands bring something different to the table, making for an enjoyable split for Thursday fans and Envy enthusiasts alike.
Thursday’s side gives us four tracks, connected by a running sentence that spans the songs’ titles. Kicking out frantic snare drum hits, “As He Climbed the Dark Mountain” twists and writhes in a way not usually heard from the Jersey boys. Sure, the songwriting resembles that of much of 2006’s A City by the Light Divided, pairing less abrasive guitar melodies with sparse, yet pummeling drums. “In Silence”, dabbles in electronic drums and droning melodies to create a relaxing and somewhat dismal atmosphere, while “An Absurd and Unrealistic Dream of Peace” gives Geoff Rickley plenty of huge moments to work his trademark voice. “Appeared and Was Gone” starts with solemn piano chording that is threaded delicately by bits of electronic flair. It’s rather apparent that they are leaning a little bit more on keys, especially on this last track, and it will be interesting to see where they go with their upcoming full-length for Epitaph, Common Existence.
Envy takes over with the first of three tracks, “An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction”. This six-and-a-half minute opus focuses more on lush instrumentals centered on guitar and electronics before kicking in with the full band around the 4:30 mark. Don’t let this first track fool you though, as “Isolation of a Light Source” runs at a frantic pace with melodic layering that would put Circa Survive to shame. You’ll notice more in this track that the vocals are indeed in Japanese (which makes sense seeing as they are from Japan), which is an opportunity for some of us to pick up on a new language at best. The vocals fall more into a raspy scream that occasionally trades off into just plain spoken word, giving a well thought juxtaposition to the less abrasive instrumental side of the band. The split ends with “Pure Birth and Loneliness”, a huge sounding track that while shows a less abrasive side while still keeping the melodies flowing from all outlets. If you have never had the chance to listen to Envy, consider this split a perfect opportunity to get familiar with them. [by: Jason Gardner]
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: December 31, 1999
From the ruins of the Blood Brothers comes Strange Symmetry, the debut EP from Past Lives, which brings a less abrasive sound than that of the band’s past escapades. Seeing as all four members were at some point in the now defunct Seattle-based band, it’s easy to see where much of this sound has evolved from, but also easy to see how they’ve made it into something completely different.
You can hear the remnants of Young Machetes less abrasive tracks (or even much of Crimes) in Strange Symmetry, as Past Lives move into a similar path of creating catchy tracks with the less aggressive voice of Jordan Blilie leading the way. “Beyond Gone” is delicately layered with a simple guitar melody and marimbas, trading back and forth between moments of spotlighting each of the three melodies (guitar, vocal and keys) before erupting for a quick passage of huge drums and casually pulled off guitar noise. The title track melds off-beat, dance ready guitar melodies and drums and Blilie’s echoey voice into much of the track, save for the rhythmic mind play from the guitar sprinkled into a few parts.
Focusing mostly on creating melody without coming across as sugar-coated, it seems like Past Lives are abandoning the scream-filled, crash-and-burn attack of their past for most part. But on the following track, “Skull Lender”, we hear a more aggressive vocal attack from Blilie and drummer Mark Gajadhar upping the ante on the skins, pushing the percussion parts into more of what we’re accustomed to hearing from him. The noise attack continues until the jaunted guitars turn the track into something you might surf to during the chorus. “Reverse the Curse” opens up with a sparkling synth riff, dropping out into a droning, yet catchy verse that marches forth with solidarity from the drums. The song eventually erupts for a moment into a blitzkrieg of snare drum and guitars, finishing off with a similar synth moment of video game-like proportions. Ending the EP is “Chrome Life”, which starts out with driving drums and a sweeping melody, eventually adding electronic bits into the mix. Moving at a solid pace, you almost feel like dancing to this somewhat dry beat, though it brings back moments of Young Machetes in the process.
While the band can’t be blamed for occasionally sounding like the past that they might never escape, the thought out moments of electronics and casually pulled off guitar parts make this a well rounded debut. Hopefully they will continue to expand musically as they work on their full-length debut in the upcoming year. [by: Jason Gardner]
Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: December 31, 1999
Wilkes-Barre/Philadelphia-based An Albatross have perfected the art of “less is more” with their third recording, The An Albatross Family Album. The entire disc clocks in at slightly less than 30 minutes of music, and only three of the nine tracks break the 3-minute mark, but who’s complaining? Each song is a precise little capsule of raucous, jagged noise rock that hits with a bang and ends before it overstays its welcome. (With the exception of “The Hymn of the Angels,” an almost 7-minute long opus of droning instrumental underneath a spoken-word recitation that falls a bit flat.) With aggressive guitars, rapidly shifting time signatures and Edward B. Gieda’s trademark screeching vocals, the songs often sound like a carnival ride careening out of control. With provocative song titles like “The Psychonaut & The Rustbelt” and “The Electric Proletariat Rides A Velvet Chariot,” I just wish it was easier to make out what the heck Gieda is actually saying when he screams out the lyrics. [By: Erin Bell]
Release date: Oct. 21, 2008
Rating: 4/5
It’s difficult to place a band like the Winter Sounds. In a industry where “sounds like” and “draws influence from” hold more weight than most are willing to admit, it’s easy to list off bands with similar sounds, but this group does a fantastic job of taking bits and pieces – not chunks – from other bands and weaving them into something much more subtle and uniquely its own. Furthermore, the band can pull off a name like the Winter Sounds – even during seasons its polar opposite – largely in part to its willingness to do more than just write songs that sound good. The Winter Sounds compose songs with complexity and depth.
With a second full-length due to come out in spring of next year, the Athens, Ga., quartet decided against keeping its fans waiting until 2009 and put out a three-song teaser of tracks from the slated album. The title track, “Pinebox,” is the clear stand-out on the release, which features the smooth singing of guitarist Patrick Keenan, a style that fans of the group’s first album will be familiar with. The group seems to have found that perfect balance between the band and the front man, with both parts trading off according to musical importance, a give and take where the music compliments the singing but takes over the song once the vocals drop out.
“Autumn Movement” and “The Heart is Scarlett” are both solid tracks, but both are also demo versions of the album songs. If they’re this good now, it means that maybe the album holds something even better. The former track is dominated by keys not unlike the ones employed by Volcano, I’m Still Excited!! – and the words sung in the upper echelons of the staff’s range do nothing to discredit this association. On the latter track, the band displays a partiality toward melody similar to acts like Copeland, but has the good sense to steer clear of being so pretty that its boring.
Admittedly, the term indie rock doesn’t mean much these days, but as a reference, the Winter Sounds is much more Hey Mercedes than, say, the Arcade Fire, giving all of its music a deeply nostalgic kind of feel. This is indie rock that doesn’t just move – it takes you somewhere. [By: Natalye Childress Smith]
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: November 11, 2008
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