Review: Strung Out - Exile in Oblivion

artist: strung out album: exile in oblivion label: fat wreck chords released: 11/2004 by: rob tatum I can still remember the first time that I heard Strung Out’s Twisted by Design when I was a sophomore in high school. I thought to myself at that time, this band isn’t just a punk band, they are way more talented than the other Fat Wreck Chords bands and their music is just amazing. Fast forward seven years and my thoughts are still the same. Exile in Oblivion, the band’s most recent work, pulls you in right away with catchy, melodic hooks and keeps you guessing with some heavy double bass and fast flowing metal riffs throughout. Strung Out’s strongest weapon has always been their ability to write songs that you can’t help but sing along to. This album is no different. Each of the fourteen tracks is solid and will have you echoing every word from singer Jason Cruz’s mouth. His voice still carries the same power and energy as it did ten years ago when Strung Out formed. There are occasional screams that bring back memories of the Elements of Sonic Defiance EP from a few years ago, but the majority of the songs carry the same emotional vocals as Twisted by Design and are accented with great backing vocal harmonies. Musically, Strung Out has relied strongly on a similar formula for years, but it has evolved greatly with the addition of heavy beats (and even the occasional breakdown) and the timely use of metal riffs and solos. Don’t get me wrong, I would never consider Strung Out to be called hardcore or metal, but certainly don’t refer to them as just another punk band. The songwriting exhibited in the past ten years is rivaled by few bands and continues to be leagues ahead of a great majority of bands out there. Jason’s lyrics have progressively become darker through the years, but his ability to make them catchy is a staple of the band’s sound. I doubt that there are many of you out there that haven’t heard a Strung Out album, but if there are, this is great album to showcase what you have been missing for the past decade. Even after so many albums, the band is as strong as ever. Songs such as “Never Speak Again” and “Swan Dive” will show you the entire spectrum of the band’s sound. As with any Strung Out record, Exile in Oblivion will make sure that you won’t be listening to another record for quite some time. favorite song: "the misanthropic principle" rating: 90%/100% listen to strung out

Review: Hopesfall - A Types

artist: .hopesfall. album: a types label: trustkill records released: 11/2/2004 by: eduardo moutinho It would be an understatement for me to say that I eagerly anticipated this release. In fact, it would be a gross understatement. I peronsally viewed A Types as a potential creative plateau for hopesfall, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of revolutionary advancements they would incorporate into their already unique melodic hardcore sound. Unfortunately, A Types is a complete devolution. It is also a complete disappointment. Granted, the band showcased here really isn't the hopesfall we are familiar with. The drummer is new and one of the guitar players is new (the fourth guitarist to accompany Josh Brigham since the band's inception and first to work on a hopesfall release since the original guitarists, Brigham and Ryan Parrish). The only remaining member of the band that was present when the iconic songs of No Wings to Speak Of were created is Brigham. Yet, the band still calls itself hopesfall, and that name carries lofty expectations. The music showcased on A Types is good, yet it is fundamentally unoriginal. The wonderful organic song structures and masterful transitions of yesteryear are gone, replaced by traditional and often-times boring choruses, verses, etc. The music seems to have a sugary coating to it, giving it a tint of radio-rock blandness. The drumming is uninspired, which makes me miss the amazing skill of Adam Morgan. Also, unlike hopesfall's previous releases, the vocals comprise of 95% singing and 5% screaming. It's almost as if the screaming is there to make the music seem hard, yet it comes across as cheap and forced. But like I said, the music is good, and there are instances where some hopesfall staples shine through, such as the chorus-effect driven guitars. It's definitely on par with most of the decent emocore out there. Songs like "Icarus," "Champion Beyond Blessing," and "Owl" are solid pieces. However, hopesfall isn't a dime-a-dozen emocore band, and this is what truly makes this album an ultimate letdown. I was so upset to see hopesfall go in this direction; they went backwards to become more acceptable to mainstream audiences. So I'm left astonished, angered, and saddened. This band isn't hopesfall, plain and simple. The guys should have released this album under a new name. In fact, this album has made me appreciate the genius of No Wings to Speak Of and The Satellite Years even more, which is amazing. Part of me is in denial, almost as if A Types is a bad dream to be forgotten. It's tragic to wonder how the sound hopesfall pioneered has been abandoned. The guys dropped the torch, and bands like Jairus have picked it up and continued the journey. favorite song: "champion beyond blessing" rating: 75%/100% listen to .hopesfall.