Artist: Underminded
Album: Eleven Eleven
Label: Uprising Records
Released: 8/7/2007 BSTscore: 80
Three years have passed since the release of the band’s Hail Unamerican! Since it was one of the more refreshing releases I had heard in quite some time, I anxiously awaited the release of the San Diego based band’s follow-up release.
The band is more than talented enough to create good music, but they won’t overwhelm anyone with elaborate solos or anything. They know their limitations and don’t push past them.
One of the biggest reasons I liked their first album is lead singer Nick Martin’s straight forward lyrics. He does a great job at conveying a positive message through angry, and at times, negative lyrics. It’s a great contrast, which I really enjoy. It may not be for everyone, but Nick does not back away from topics such as war, religion, and prostitution. There is room to improve (it’s not poetic), but it is mature and powerful.
Nick’s screaming has one of the more distinguishable voices in hardcore (I easily picked up his guest spot on the Chiodos album). The only negative aspect is that the band uses a lot of gang vocals for choruses. At times, it’s a great approach, while at others it seems a bit out of place.
The songs on Eleven Eleven are more cohesive than their prior releases. “The Chancellor”, “Lords and Wolves”, and “The Great American Sob Story” are stand out songs that have strong melody and yet maintain fast and aggressive tempos. Breakdowns are there, but they are no longer included just to have a breakdown. The songs flow very well.
The unfortunate thing for Underminded is that while Hail Unamerican! stood out from the pack, the pack became much larger and more congested in the three years up to this release. While I think that this is still better than most of the releases that have come out lately, it didn’t quite do enough to distance the band from others in their genre. I’m glad they didn’t re-invent the wheel and they certainly have matured, but there is still room for improvement.
This easily found my rotation. It’s an intelligent release with great lyrics and strong flow. As much as I really like this band, they don’t seem to generate the buzz that they deserve. Having seen them numerous times live, they have an amazing set and with time I hope they get their due.
Musicianship: 75
Vocals: 90
Creativity: 75
Impact: 80
Favorite Song: "The Great American Sob Story"
Listen to Underminded
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