Can You See the Sunset? » hardcore

Police & Thieves – Amor Y Guerra

Eric — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:29:15 +0000

Amor y Guerra is a collection of Police & Thieves’ three EP releases up to this point along with a few previously unreleased songs. The DC band features ex-members of Worn Thin and plays straightforward hardcore that’s a little melodic without really being melodic at all. Not that there is anything wrong with that, right? I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this while cleaning out my garage. So yeah, there’s really no “singing” at all but the vocals aren’t screamed either. They’ve also got some rock-and-roll undertones that are evident in the music as well making for a something a little more varied. Really (though) it is well-played and aggressive with plenty of gang vocals too. Amor y Guerra isn’t groundbreaking but is good enough that if you like bands like Dag Nasty, early AFI, or even In My Eyes, I’d suggest you check this out.

MP3:
Police & Thieves - False Parades
Police & Thieves - ...Like A Trainwreck

Transit – Stay Home EP

Eric — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:03:05 +0000

Transit is a Boston-based quintet that, on their latest EP Stay Home, makes me want to do just that and stay home listening to these six songs all night. These songs are filled with unabashedly passionate emotional hardcore that’s got (for good measure) one foot still in the pop punk pool. The guitars are technical without being the least bit mathy and Transit also shows off some awesome vocal interplay courtesy of their three vocalists. Stay Home is ever on point and even the token acoustic number that closes the EP doesn’t seem cliche and/or unnecessary (which is itself an amazing feat). I hadn’t been familiar with Transit prior to this, but Stay Home hits like a punch to the face and has made me damn sure that I’ll be chomping at the bit for a full-length. RIYL: Crime In Stereo, Small Towns Burn A Little Slower, (maybe) Polar Bear Club, etc…

MP3:
Transit - Nameless (Songs To Static)
Transit - Atlas

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After The Fall – Fort Orange

Eric — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:54:13 +0000

Did you know that Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland and was on the site of the present-day city of Albany, New York? Did you also know that Fort Orange is the latest blistering album from melodic-hardcore band After The Fall who (non-coincidentally) call Albany home. While I wouldn’t classify anything on Fort Orange as catchy, there’s just enough melody that After The Fall doesn’t sound like just another generic hardcore band shouting. If you like your drums played really fast, big breakdowns, and guitars that rip and shred without being overly technical or metal-esqe, you need to hear this record. Fort Orange is a focused blast of aggression that makes an immediate impact but gets better as melodic subtleties become apparent over multiple listens. This is some awesome shit. RIYL: 88 Fingers Louie, A Wilhelm Scream, Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere, etc…

MP3 | After The Fall – 1994 Fort Orange
MP3 | After The Fall – Bummer Fort Orange

North Lincoln – Midwestern Blood

Eric — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:04:01 +0000

Two years in the making, North Lincoln’s new album Midwestern Blood was definitely worth the wait. It might not blow you away (at first) but it is more than damn solid, plus these dudes are from Grand Rapids, and who doesn’t like Grand Rapids? Anyhow, the album takes cues from the likes of both Samiam and Hot Water Music as they forge their own sound; dark and introspective (but accessible) mid-tempo punk that’s somewhere between hardcore and gruff-yet-melodic pop-punk. In fact, Midwestern Blood could possibly be the perfect definition and reference of what I’d expect to hear on just about any No Idea Records release. The music is raw, intense, and perfectly complements the shredded-throat vocals (think The Tim Version). I’d actually liken this more to a band such as As Friends Rust more than anything I’ve already mentioned though. Yeah. With that, I think I’m going to have a beer or two and listen to this record again.

MP3 | North Lincoln – My Summer Spent Indoors Midwestern Blood
MP3 | North Lincoln – Bridge Jumpers Midwestern Blood

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage

Eric — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:56:22 +0000

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there is no denying that Killswitch Engage was once groundbreaking and innovative. The question, however, remains, is the band still important? Does Killswitch Engage matter anymore? As a longtime Killswitch fan, I certainly think so, but there’s no doubt that the band’s last album, As Daylight Dies, wasn’t quite on par with their earlier work. The new self-titled full-length from these Massachusetts metal pioneers isn’t a huge leap forward but it does, at least in part, seem like a step in the right direction for the band.

The album begins promisingly with the fast-paced “Never Again.” The song stays loyal to the tried and true Killswitch formula that’s always worked for the band; heavy guitars backing screamed vocals in the verses and sung vocals in the chorus. It’s good but not great. The opening guitars on “Starting Over” again pique my interest but the band doesn’t change up the formula as they do their best to channel Iron Maiden while building up to an even more soaring and anthemic chorus full of clean vocals. It almost sounds like the Killswitch guys covering themselves, especially considering Howard’s “C’Mon” to open the song. “The Forgotten” is more of the same but less engaging than the first two songs.

The first single off Killswitch Engage is “Reckoning,” and it’s a short bombastic song that quickly builds to a triumphant and downright catchy chorus. It almost sorta sounds like vintage Killswitch. Almost. “The Return,” with its sweeping melody and lack of screaming might just be the softest and least “core” song the band’s ever committed to tape. There’s a bit of riffage but it’s a different side of Killswitch that finds them expanding their sonic range beyond what I expected of them. Quickly, however, the band returns to form with “A Light In A Darkened World,” which is that same old Killswitch song they’ve always played, but this time it doesn’t seem quite as exciting or as urgent.

Just when I was getting a bit bored, for the first time during the album, I’m like, “Holy shit,” as the opening Malmsteen-eque riff of “Take Me Away” hits my ears. It’s too bad I get a bit disappointed when it abruptly stops and is replaced by clean vocals and quiet guitars. Even so, “Take Me Away” is one of the first moments on the album that seems truly inspired. The band follows this “I Would Do Anything,” the heaviest song on the album and then with “Save Me,” which might, again, be typical Killswitch, but also might be the best song on the album. “Lost” is a big slow song with great riffs, but it sounds as close to Creed as I hope the band ever gets. Killswitch Engage then ends with a bang as the verses of “This Is Goodbye” are pummeled into your head. All in all, the album isn’t great, but better than the drivel the vast legions of bands that have copied them are dishing out.

A few things are made abundantly clear after listening to Killswitch Engage and one of those is that the band and their music has become a little too predictable. Knowing what to expect and following a tried-and-true formula isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when almost every song seems to be a vehicle to get to the chorus and every chorus sounds remarkably similar, it is. Brendan O’Brien also seems to have produced the life and edge right out of these songs as well. There are songs I just know I should be feeling more than I do, but something is just missing. The vocals are less affecting both when growled and caustic or clean and melodic. Even the guitars seem over compressed and lack punch when the songs really need it. It seems to be aimed at a mainstream audience when a crossover is highly unlikely.

I’m a bit disappointed because I remember loving Killswitch Engage’s second album Alive Or Just Breathing and then their follow-up, the masterpiece The End Of Heartache, was so tight and so epic that it became the standard that everything else was judged against. It combined the heavy technical metalcore and the screaming/singing of the band’s earlier albums with the melody of mainstream metal. It was near perfection. It set the bar so high that there really wasn’t any way that Killswitch could follow it and not fall a little flat. Killswitch Engage finds the band trying to recapture some of the magic they had on i>Alive Or Just Breathing and then The End Of Heartache but not quite getting all that close. I still find plenty on Killswitch Engage to enjoy but, overall, I’m guessing that more fans will be disappointed with the album than thrilled by it, especially those who’ve been with the band for awhile now.

MP3 | Killswitch Engage – Take Me Away Killswitch Engage
MP3 | Killswitch Engage – I Would Do Anything Killswitch Engage

Leathermouth – XO

Eric — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Leathermouth’s debut full length XO was released earlier this year and is full of raw hardcore punk that’s fast, furious, and full of anger. It’s an abrasive 10 song album that recalls old-school hardcore but with screeching (mostly) incomprehensible vocals. Much of XO ends up sounding a what a suicide bomber might sound like if the bomb was equal parts The Blood Brothers, Black Flag, and The Locust even though it doesn’t really sound anything like any of those bands. Most notable about Leathermouth (however) is that the band is the side project of My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero. That doesn’t do much for me, but it’s worth mentioning and worth noting that 99% of MCR fans will most likely hate this. XO doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table it’s a good record (given your mood and penchant for this sort of thing).

MP3 | Leathermouth – Catch Me If You Can XO
MP3 | Leathermouth – Sunsets Are For Muggings XO

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Shook Ones – The Unquotable A.M.H.

Eric — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:24:21 +0000

In my mind, Seattle’s Shook Ones have always been the world’s greatest Kid Dynamite tribute band despite playing (to my knowledge, at least) zero Kid Dynamite songs, but with their new album The Unquotable A.M.H. the band has moved past that despite their singer still being a dead ringer for Jason Shevchuk. Yeah, Shook Ones still play fast and melodic hardcore-influenced pop-punk with more than enough hooks and breakdowns to easily satisfy the toughest critics, but this time around it’s a wee bit slower, the songs are longer, and there’s a bit more melody. There is (however) no shortage of fuckin’ awesome. I liked their last album Facetious Folly Feat a bunch, but this is better. The Unquotable A.M.H. isn’t groundbreaking, but it it really couldn’t be much more fun and fist-pumpingly enjoyable than it is. Besides, who doesn’t love “woah oh’s?” Get it NOW! from the ridiculously good Paper & Plastick label.

MP3 | Shook Ones – They’re Very ‘Yes’ The Unquotable A.M.H.
MP3 | Shook Ones – For Collards The Unquotable A.M.H.