Review: Grade - Headfirst Straight to Hell

artist: grade album: headfirst straight into hell label: victory records released: 8/2001 by: eduardo moutinho This album has been out for a while, I am very aware about that. I am also aware that Grade is pretty much done, at least for the time being. Nevertheless, this album is worth reviewing, and for those who have never heard it or are interested in reading about it, this will be of some value. Headfirst Straight into Hell is Canada’s own Grade’s latest and possibly last release. The band is best known for their popular releases Separate the Magnets, The Embarassing Beginning, and Under the Radar. Grade’s sound is hard to describe, and definitely unique. They manage to blend together elements of emo, punk, and hardcore into an amalgam they call their own. The vocals are even more difficult to explain, since they sound like a mix of singing and screaming. Their sound is thoroughly respected in many circles, and a countless number of bands have tried to emulate it or incorporate many of its elements into their music. First off, the production value of the album is quite low. For some reason, this album does not sound as crisp and vibrant as it should. Under the Radar sounds much better. That is quite strange, since it was recorded beforehand and the band probably had a smaller budget to work with at that time. It seems that the treble is too high, which makes the guitars sound tinnier than they should, and takes away some of the body from the music. These problems cannot really be remedied by a good equalizer either. It’s not something that makes the album difficult to listen to. It sounds fine, but for a band with Grade’s connections, a more sharply produced album is expected. Anyway, onto the actual music, while Under the Radar showed Grade’s pop-oriented side, Headfirst Straight into Hell is definitely a step towards the harder and grittier sonic end. This can be attributed to the fact that the band went through some member changes before the album was actually recorded. In actuality, I think the harder sound is a welcome change. It’s more aggressive, and the songs seem to have more bite to them. There is heavier emphasis on the guitar work for this record. There are more catchy lead parts being played, and the layering is quite good. The vocals are excellent. Kyle Bishop’s singing really helps round out the band’s sound. As I mentioned earlier, his voice is sort of a scream/sing hybrid. It can almost be described as an excessively raspy singing voice, yet I think that gives a bad impression. It works really well, and manages to flow incredibly with the actual screaming. The transitions between singing and screaming are flawless. The vocals blend with the music, even more so on this album because of the aggressive style. Highlights on this album include the excellent opening piece “Termites Hollow,” fast paced “Becoming Not Being,” catchy “Overthrowing Creation Itself,” and the hypnotic “Twenty Moons.” There’s a lot of variety in the album. “Termites Hollow” and “Becoming Not Being” are fast and aggressive pieces showing the direction the band was heading in at the time of the recording, yet songs like “Overthrowing Creating Itself,” “In the Wake of Poseidon," and “Will Bending” sound like the Grade of Under the Radar and Triumph & Tragedy. Then, songs like “Twenty Moons” are slow and more epic-sounding. It’s a very interesting mix, and I enjoy it quite a bit. In the end, I think this is a solid album. If this is indeed the swan song for Grade, that would be an absolute shame. I think the band is incredibly talented, and they have become an institution in our scene. No matter what, they definitely have left with a bang. favorite song: "termites hollow" rating: 90%/100% listen to grade