Review: Hot Water Music - Caution

artist: hot water music album: caution label: epitaph records released: 10/8/02 by: rob tatum Alright, it’s no secret to those of you who know me. Hot Water Music is my favorite band (the whole logo tattooed on my arm might be a clue). Regardless, their last album, A Flight and a Crash, disappointed me for the most part. It didn’t have the same driving, emotional thunder that a typical HWM album carries. I didn’t hate it, but it had me a little apprehensive for their second album on Epitaph, Caution. I went and picked this up the day it came out. It starts with the song “Remedy” which has the same feel as A Flight and a Crash. I thought maybe my love affair with the band was about to die. Then the second track “Trusty Chords” started… and that warm feeling, that has been so much to me in the last five years, hit home. The rest of this album marks maturity and progression for HWM. I don’t know if I could say that they found their strengths in this record, because they never really lost them, but this album can grab a listener and pull them in. Lyrically, the album is nothing compared to Forever and Counting or Fuel for the Hate Game, but this album is still miles ahead of any band on Epitaph and most bands out there today. From the fifth track, “It’s all related”: “When you come, crumbling, you will grow back again. Don’t hold your breath, don’t lie awake, don’t hesitate, be ready to see.” HWM has an amazing ability to write words that motivate one to keep their head up, no matter what the problem is. This is the best example on this album. Musically, this album is more diverse than any previous album. Each song is a little change of pace from the previous. It actually creates a nice flow. There is a bigger emphasis on melody on this album and it adds to the experience. My favorite example of this is in “I’m alright for now.” It begins really mellow with little guitar and builds into a melodic, emotional ballad with much smoother vocals than the previous albums. You’d think that it would be easy for me to review my favorite band, but it’s really difficult for me to put everything into words. In as few words as possible, my advice is that for anyone who has never heard HWM, or have been deterred because of the vocals, this album is worth your listen. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed. favorite song: "i'm alright for now" rating: 90%/100% listen to the hot water music

Review: Hopesfall - The Satellite Years

artist: .hopesfall. album: the satellite years label: trustkill records released: 10/15/2002 by: eduardo moutinho Alright, I’ll be honest with you. If you don’t know me, then let me dispel a fact about myself that will affect this review. I am a big fan of hopesfall. You could say I’m an enormous fan of this band. I believe they’re the best melodic hardcore band out there. Their incorporation and manipulation of the “melodic breakdown” is quite simply stunning. I believe they’re one of the few “core” bands that play beautiful hardcore. What I mean is that I believe if you pull an average Joe/Jane off the street that has never listened to hardcore and expose them to hopesfall, there is a good chance that they’ll acknowledge this band’s musicality. Anyway, hopesfall’s highly anticipated second full-length album, and Trustkill debut, The Satellite Years, is out. Here’s my take on it. I received this album in the mail straight from Trustkill, since I was one of the people who pre-ordered it. My first impression was of disappointment with the limited edition package that I received. I won’t go into details, but if you want to know what I’m talking about, visit thecommunity. A nice little thread about this has been generated for your reading pleasure. Nevertheless, the artwork for the album is quite beautiful. The choice of colors is very nice, with blues and whites dominating the insert. The motif of the artwork is a surreal sci-fi one. Eventually, I stuck the CD into my computer, and I started to listen. Unfortunately, the CD is only ten songs in length. Two of these songs are moody, yet simplistic instrumental pieces (“Andromeda” and “Redshift”). So in essence, the album is only eight songs, which is a bit short. The good news is that these eight songs are quite strong, with some definitely leading the way. Fans of hopesfall are aware about this band’s ability to grow and mature, from their experiences of listening to the band’s first album, The Frailty of Words, and the band’s popular EP, No Wings to Speak Of. Between those two efforts, hopesfall really grew musically, by beginning to incorporate more singing and instrumental parts into their music. This maturation process is evident in The Satellite Years. There are more singing and melodic instrumental portions than ever. This may scare off some of the more straight-up hardcore fans, but in my opinion, this is definitely a good thing. After the aforementioned instrumental piece “Andromeda,” the CD begins with a barrage of great songs. The first five songs following the introduction are absolutely amazing. From “Waitress” to “Dana Walker,” each song is filled with differing tempos, complex interludes, and a mish-mash of singing and screaming. Every facet of the music is wonderful. The guitars are fantastic, the drumming is on time and aggressive, and the vocals help tie it all together. This band is incredibly talented. They have an ear for melody. Like I mentioned before, there is a lot of singing on this record. The vocals are well-orchestrated; on many occasions, they overlap, with screaming and singing going on at the same time. This is conducted with great proficiency. After the other instrumental track, “Redshift,” the album heads into the straightaway, approaching the finish line. This latter portion of the album contains a sandwich of two traditional hopesfall-sounding songs, “Only the Clouds” and “The Bending,” and another, less traditional track (“Escape Pod for Intangibles”). “Escape Pod for Intangibles” contains no screaming, and features Matt Talbot from Hum (who also produced this album) aiding in the vocals. This track goes nowhere, and it almost manages to put the listener in a trance. In fact, it is very Hum-like, which is what I believe hopesfall was aiming for. In my opinion, this is the only track on the album that I don’t care much for. It’s not bad by any means, it’s just boring. The album ends with its strongest song, “The Bending.” This song is pure hopesfall. It begins with a fast-paced and lively tempo and ends with a poignant instrumental breakdown. It’s incredibly well-executed. In simple terms, this song personifies the band. In conclusion, this album passes my test. I expected a wonderful effort, and that’s what I received. This record is not a complete masterpiece like No Wings to Speak Of. That was an EP though, and this is a full-length. It is a bit too short, but I can’t do anything about that. Hopefully, they’ll throw an EP together in a year, I don’t know. The song with Talbot and the instrumental pieces are forgettable, but the rest isn’t. The remaining songs are beautiful in their musicality, vocals, and structure. If you look at it realistically, seven great songs out of eight is a grand achievement; hopesfall has managed to show that they are serious musicians with an endless amount of talent. In addition, they have managed to improve upon their sound. The new vocalist, Jay Forrest, proved to be a worthy replacement as well. As a whole, this album is incredible. favorite song: “the bending” rating: 95%/100% listen to .hopesfall.

Review: Tub Ring - Fermi Paradox

artist: tub ring album: fermi paradox label: underground inc. released: by: drew walton The name of this band still gets me wondering what these guys were discussing the night it was born and makes me wish I was there. After listening to this particular album, it really makes me want to get into their heads and discover the true motives behind their music. Not to say that it is bad in the least. In fact, for those who know me, this is something I crave: a band that will produce oxymoron after oxymoron in their music. It gets me hooked simply for its originality. I mean, which of you guys have heard an album where song seven is classic hard rock, song eight is short, fast, “grindy,” electric dissonance, and song nine is a raga (type of Indian music)? No you heard me right, song nine consists of an honest to God, sitar-driven raga. Well I have heard an album like this, and it‘s called Fermi Paradox. The album as a whole is hard to put a finger on. It’s a hard rockin’, punk, acid jazz, electrically supplemented good time. No matter what the tempo, I guarantee it’s an album that deserves to be danced to, and one such as me can’t really help but start moving to the beat. As long as you fight the temptation to ask yourself “why the hell did they put that there,” or “why did they decide to be like this here,” you’ll find that after listening to this album, you had a fairly good time. My favorite song would have to be “Living with Rene’s Head.“ Like I said before, I like this band’s music simply because of all the 180s they do. It’s like riding a Ferris wheel compared to riding a roller coaster. The Ferris wheel is fun and has a great view, making it good for some situations, but for my money I like to go up, down, get tossed around, and not know what’s going to happen next. The song goes jazz, “grindy” dissonance, jazz, dissonance, disco, rock, electronica, rock and repeat. Ahh, the combinations are endless. Speaking from a point of musicianship these guys really know what’s up. They just choose to express themselves differently. The rhythm section produces a lot of “danceability” as well as frequent solid time changes. The vocals have an aspect that any good vocalist should push in their voice: character. Along with tone and harmony, this aspect should be stressed. That same character is also stressed in the instruments, all 12 of them, aside from the obvious five-piece that makes up the actual band there are also ten extra guest musicians playing things like violin, marimba, vibraphone, sax, flute, trumpet, sitar, extra percussion, and adding extra vocals to the music. This vast number of musicians gives the freedom to explore some real exciting stuff. So in conclusion, even though this band may not sound serious at first listen, I believe that they are very serious, and have a serious message in their music. I felt even stronger about this after reading some of the lyrics and seeing how much real depth they have. It’s interesting to see the medium in which they chose to express these words. Eh, do whatever’s clever and this is clever indeed. favorite song: “living with rene’s head“ rating: 89%/100% listen to tub ring

Review: In Pieces - Learning to Accept Silence

artist: in pieces album: learning to accept silence label: escape artist records released: 4/30/02 by: rob tatum This has to be the hardest band in the world to describe. They combine just about everything into one big ball and out comes one of the best records that I have heard. Yes, ever. There is a little of everything for anyone on this album. Emo, hardcore, punk, screams, singing. It’s all here on this album. And it’s not chaotic at all. It flows better than most of the other bands out there. Each song has such precise song writing that you barely notice what is really happening. You just hear kick ass music. The album opens with “The Anchor” and follows with “A Fitting Lie.” Both are emotional, and melodic pieces with excellent flow. “A Fitting Lie” (Ed’s mp3 of the week for 10/6-10/13) has some intricate string work and is a really nice work. Next up on the album are two songs that hit pretty hard in some parts. I really like “Like Angels on the Verge of Suicide.” The guitar work and drums on this song make this song what it is and the lyrics are really emotional. “I turn my head and shed a tear and for what seems like a thousand miles until I hit the cold cement floor beside your feet.” The next few songs are all good, but nothing stands out directly in the beauty until the eighth track, “Walking this fine line.” Both melodic and heavy at the beginning, this song transforms into a fast paced, sing along, and then proceeds into a breakdown before the halfway point of the song. I really like the diversity. The album ends with “Your Switch to the Sun.” This is one of the best songs on the album, but not the best, it was difficult to pick just one. It represents everything In Pieces can do. The end of this song is really moving with mellow guitar riffs and drum work that builds into a nice ending melody. I love this album. Bottom line. Diverse. Good lyrics. Everything you could ever want in a record musically. I foresee this album finding a nice little spot in my usual rotation. The only disappointing thing I found out is that the band has parted ways with their vocalist, Scott Gibson, since this recording. I hope that the new vocalist can fill the shoes of Scott. This is worth checking out to fans of everything as it combines everything into one of the best records I have purchased this year. rating: 93%/100% favorite song: “walking this fine line” listen to in pieces

Review: The Postman Syndrome - Terraforming

artist: the postman syndrome album: terraforming label: now or never records released: 9/24/02 by: eduardo moutinho Our site, blood.sweat.tears, is about two months away from celebrating its one-year anniversary. Time sure does fly by. When we started this site, it was pretty simple, a couple of reviews here and there, a lackluster seafoam green interface, and a good five hits per day if we were lucky. While we haven’t reached Lambgoat or Buddyhead-like numbers, we’re getting more and more popular as each day passes. With this newfound popularity, a few perks have come our way as well. Receiving new CDs from upstart (and even established) labels is one of them. And in some cases, we’re blessed with an amazing work, like Terraforming. The Postman Syndrome is a new kid on the block from the thriving hardcore mecca known as New Jersey. This band approaches the game with their own unique formula, looking to incorporate their excellent musicianship and creativity to form their own unique beast of a sound. You’ll get a little bit of everything from this band. Similar to bands like Candiria, they incorporate all kinds of jazzy riffs and beats to fuse with hardcore. Plus, they take this a step further, by adding snippets of well-done acoustic guitar, flute, and horn interludes to their music. This is definitely a visionary band worth taking some time to explore. The band’s freshman outing, Terraforming, is the kind of album that you listen through from the beginning to the end. Taking a cue from The Blood Brothers, the album tells a story, through its lyrics and its music. The Postman Syndrome meticulously crafted this work, and they want your emotions to be struck on all levels as you listen to it. The lyrics themselves are wondrous, as they manage to relay the story on an intimate and eloquent level, while straying away from the norm of free verse. These words rhyme, yet they don’t rhyme like the words of a Good Charlotte song. They actually sound properly placed; there is not a sign of triteness to be found. The album itself is described by the band as “a story in eight parts.” Each part has a header name, such as “Amputees Make Bad Swimmers” or “Schizorabbit and the Face Parade.” Within each part, there are chapters. The actual tracks on the CD make up these chapters. It’s interesting, and a much needed breath of fresh air. I’m not going to go into heavy detail over each song, since I think the album itself is worth listening to from start to finish, yet I will give you a taste of what to expect. Like I mentioned above, each song is a roller-coaster ride of different sounds, tempos, instruments, etc. One song might have a heavy, Coalesce-sounding, introduction, with piercing vocals that suddenly leads into a mellow, atmospheric, verse with subtle singing vocals. As strange as it sounds, the parts fit together well and flow smoothly. You’re never left going “What the…” as you’re listening. Believe me, you will constantly be surprised. As I was listening to Terraforming, I couldn’t keep from being mesmerized by the beauty of the record. There were so many segments that grasped me, and didn’t let go. I found myself closing my eyes and moving my head gently in rhythm to the music on frequent occasions. These kinds of experiences make me love music the way I do. This whole piece managed to act as an escape for me. While I watch MTV, or browse through my 12-year-old sister’s CD collection, I get disillusioned by where music is heading. But when I have the opportunity to listen to a CD like this, I get back some hope and realize that there is still great music out there coming from relatively new bands, such as The Postman Syndrome. favorite song: Interpretive Decorating – Chapter X rating: 93%/100% listen to the postman syndrome

Review: Isis - Oceanic

artist: isis album: oceanic label: ipecac recordings released: 9/17/02 by: dan phelps This is the follow up to the highly acclaimed Celestial, and this is their best record to date. 9 tracks of incredibly expansive metal and hardcore. Each song has its parts that are crushing and heavy, and each song has its parts that are much more ambient and mellow. The songs are constructed very well, each 7 minute track flows, and combined with the artwork and layout, and noise it is all incredibly thematic. The recording is excellent, and each instrument is distinct, while still being loud. Giving her guest vocals to this record is Ayl Noir of the band 27. All of it is just excellent. Music that deserves to be heard and appreciated. Isis rocks. favorite song: n/a rating: n/a

Review: Sin Desires Marie - Self-Titled

artist: sin desires marie album: self-titled label: released: by: ryan nee This record is incredibly honest. That’s probably not something you usually hear a reviewer say, but I assure you that it’s the biggest compliment I could ever give to a collection of songs. I feel like I really understood the three female members of the local band Sin Desires Marie after listening. The record starts out with the most dreary song on the album, which discusses what I assume is a personal experience of one of the members of the band being raped. The lyrics are cold and to the point without getting too overbearing on the listener: "Hush now / don’t move, don’t speak now / hush / hush now." They go on to say, "This is the sound of breaking / breaking in." The song is angry, but accepting of past events, and is an overall excellent introduction to the honesty of Sin Desires Marie. The album progresses onward from the first song into more comfortable intellectual ground, and progresses in the music aspect also. The music is something along the lines of a slowed down version of Q and not U, but has its own edge and exclusively female vocals. The music is beautifully written – It is calm and soothing in the sense that it has very little distorted guitar and is almost entirely single notes, as if they took bass lines and converted them into guitar parts. Despite it’s calm attitude, this is very direct and to the point. The third song on the record probably has the best instrumentation with what sounds like a slightly jazz/dance/funk influenced sound that really works out well and culminates in the end with a multi-layered vocal climax completed by consistency of the clanging bell of the ride cymbal. My absolute favorite moment of this record is probably what some people would view as the weakest area of the album, but I think it’s pretty incredible. In the seventh song something really amazing happens, where the two singers are singing over each other and you hear one of their voices start to shake and get out of key when she says, "This is the last time I wanted to talk to you anymore." As a singer, I find that it’s pretty tense to hear someone’s voice start to shake in a recording. Immediately, out of nowhere, the same singer comes in and booms out with unbelievable confidence, "I am done! / I am done / I am done." This is probably one of my favorite moments of a record that I’ve ever heard. It is human. It’s honest. It’s sincere. It’s beautiful. This album is definitely one of the best local records I’ve ever heard, and something that people will not regret having as a part of their collection. rating: 92%/100%

Spotlight: The Hope Conspiracy

bst spotlight band. The Hope Conspiracy is five piece hardcore outfit that took the hardcore world by storm when it formed in late 1999. They released a 7” in early 2000 and have taken off since then. Their first full length, Code Blue, was released on Equal Vision Records in October of 2000. The band states that they were “still finding their style” at the time of this recording. About a year later, they released a six song EP called File 03, and began to define their style. Which leads us to today… their second full length, Endnote, is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Code Blue was a new direction for hardcore, with amazing guitar work, crisp vocals. After hearing the EP, and if anyone has ever seen this band live, you would understand why in less than two years, The Hope Conspiracy has become one of hardcore’s biggest names. They fill the stage with energy that doesn’t stop from start to finish and they entertain the crowd better than half the bands that exist today. For those that haven’t heard this band, you are missing out on a new perspective on hardcore. Check out the band's website and Equal Vision Records for more information and some mp3’s. the hope conspiracy official website

Review: Dillinger Escape Plan - Irony is a Dead Scene

artist: the dillinger escape plan album: irony is a dead scene label: epitaph records released: 8/27/02 by: eduardo moutinho Okay, when I heard about this combination of Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP) and Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, and Fantomas), I was incredibly intrigued. I think DEP is one of the only grindcore-oriented bands that I actually can find some liking to. They're a crazy band indeed, as many of you know. DEP is notorious for their shows filled with fire and chaos. In fact, many believe they're the best ticket anyone can find. Musically, they are just as crazy, with sporadic musicality, insane tempos and time signatures, and pure spontaneity in song structure. Patton has been in his own little world with Mr. Bungle and Fantomas over the past few years. Mr. Bungle, in particular, is as unique as DEP, with its mellower music and various inspirations. Their albums have generated a loyal, cult-like, following, along with critical acclaim. Fantomas is probably the closest thing to DEP that Patton has associated himself with, and that is a loose statement to make. While Fatntomas has little inklings of grindcore, it's more comparable to Melt-Banana than Dillinger Escape Plan. This is why Patton's involvement on this record intrigues me. I guess this is the pattern that Patton is choosing to go by, one that is similar to DEP's music in its spontaneity. Nevertheless, the hype has been generated, the EP is here, and it is indeed quite an interesting piece of work... The record consists of four songs. All of them quite insane. I'll be blatantly honest here, Patton's vocals do not work with DEP's music. This isn't a case of "two completely unique elements combining to create something masterful" at all. On the first track, "Hollywood Squares," Patton chooses to wail over the incredibly fast past of the song, which unfortunately makes for a strange combination that doesn't hit the ear right. On the next track, he opts to sing in small and quick little bursts for a good portion of the song, sounding almost like he's speaking in tongues. The style of singing he displays reminds me of Jonathan Davis singing "Twist" from Korn's Life is Peachy album. I don't think many people here like Korn, so I'm not sure how many will perceive what Patton is trying to do. The third song on the EP, "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things," should be noted for its percussion and overall instrumentation. This is pure DEP here. In fact, the whole record demonstrates DEP's method to their mayhem. The band consists of good musicians, that know what they're doing. Those who like the DEP sound will be able to easily recognize that this is indeed the band they have grown to love. The guitars are there, the drums are there, the time signatures too. But again, this EP just sounds strange because of what the band is trying to do with Patton. Again, I believe it's commendable. They're trying to experiment with something different, but it doesn't work. Nevertheless, I'd like to praise the band for their attempt to cover the classic electronica song "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin as the last song on the EP. It's a really great song that is definitely worthy of a cover. All in all, I did not enjoy this EP. I assume that many people will like, and many will love, what DEP has done with Patton and vice versa. I think that DEP is a better band with their own vocalist doing all the work, and I think Patton is a better vocalist doing his own thing. This is a fascinating work though, that people should listen to. It can be best described as an interesting idea that just didn't work, like Pepsi Blue or Nintendo's Virtual Boy. favorite song: "come to daddy" rating: 70%/100% listen to the dillinger escape plan

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