Review: Avail - Front Porch Stories

artist: avail album: front porch stories label: fat wreck chords released: 11/5/02 by: rob tatum I know you are thinking, Avail? Fat Wreck Chords? Punk? Yep. Avail is one of the most energetic and fun bands I have ever seen live and that energy tends to carry over to their releases. A lot of people felt that Avail might change when they left Lookout! Records for Fat Wreck two years ago, but I can assure that they haven’t lost sight of what they are good at. Combining elements of just about everything, Avail has a unique sound that is usually referred to as punk, but there are aspects of hardcore, and the occasional melodies stray away from punk or hardcore. Vocalist Tim Barry pounds out each of the twelve songs on this record with heart and passion. Musically the record stays right where one would expect it based on Avail’s previous five full lengths. Driving guitars, fast beats, occasional solos and heavy parts, but typical, “get the crowd moving” rock. My biggest complaint about this album, as with most releases lately, is that it clocks in around half an hour. Averaging less than three minutes a song, I wish that there were more than twelve tracks. The fifth track Gravel to Dirt shows the melodic side of Avail as it is both slower and mellower than the other tracks on the CD. The best song is Subdued and Arrested which speaks about standing up for what you believe. Barry’s lyrics continue to be motivational and with good intentions. Overall, the album is nothing special. I love Avail and don’t get me wrong, this album will be in my regular rotation for quite some time, but it’s not an album that everyone should get. If you like Avail, melodic punk, or you need have never heard of them before, check this out. If none of those apply to you, then you won’t be missing anything. favorite song: subdued and arrested rating: 74%/100% listen to avail

Review: Eighteen Visions - Vanity

artist:eighteen visions album: vanity label:trustkill records released: 5/14/02 by: rob tatum For those of you who have heard Until the Ink Runs Out, you know that Eighteen Visions is known for their “in your face” metalcore. Nothing really separated them from any other band in their genre or any band from the Orange County scene. To be quite honest, I didn’t think that they would ever get very far in the direction they appeared to be heading. They were a decent band, but didn’t seem to have anything to offer besides breakdowns and metal. Then comes Vanity. 13 songs ranging from acoustic ballads to a little techno (yes, I said techno) to the typical “in your face” brutal hardcore kids have come to expect from 18V. The album starts with the title track, Vanity, and it hits with the usual intensity of an 18V song, then the verse comes in with singing and melody. This change of pace caught me off guard, but it flows really well. This first track is the “appetizer” for the rest of the album, as it has a little bit of acoustic guitar behind the singing, then it builds into a brutal build with James barking his vocals angrily. The next two songs are in typical 18V fashion. Heavy-hitting. Chugga-Chugga guitar. Passionate vocals. The second song, Fashion Show, has one of the hardest breakdowns I have ever heard, and it could definitely get a crowd going. The fourth song is completely out of the ordinary. It sounds like it could be played on the radio. It doesn’t sound like 18V until about half way through and even then, it doesn’t seem to fit. The next “song” The Notes of My Reflection is an instrumental with acoustic guitar and drum and bass techno in the background. Yep, like I said, techno. The next two songs show more maturity and creativity in song writing for 18V. A little bit of melody mixed with heartfelt lyrics… add a little 18V and you get something new, different, and in my eyes, good. Some lyrics from the sixth song, A short walk down a long hallway, “You’re still the one that opened my eyes. Let me be the one to breath. How did you find me?” My biggest complaint with the album overall is that it changes pace a lot. I like the new direction and experimentation, but every second or third song is acoustic or techno, and it throws things out of wack. Another acoustic track follows on the 8th song, and then the 9th track comes back with a fast-paced, angry attack on the senses. It’s hard to describe. Two more songs follow in the direction of the title track, and then another instrumental, which is more background noise than a song. The last track, which is one of my favorites, is another ballad, but it is the best track lyrically and musically. Love in Autumn shows that the band has grown since their last release and that they are not just a one dimensional hardcore band. It ends the album well. This album is really good, but there are times when it is hard to listen to, as it jumps around so much. It is much better than any of the previous releases from 18V, at least in my eyes, but I’m not sure, even to this day, if I like the way it was pieced together. favorite song: "fashion show" / "love in autumn" (tie, they show both sides of the band) rating: 86%/100% listen to eighteen visions

Spotlight: My Chemical Romance

bst spotlight band. Having only been around for about a year, My Chemical Romance burst into the punk/emo scene with their first release, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, on Eyeball Records. This is the same label that released Thursday’s first album, Waiting. MCR combines fast-paced melodies with heartfelt vocals, creating a distinct sound all their own. Lyrically the band writes somewhat twisted love songs encompassing lyrics such as “These hands stained red, from the times I’ve killed you and then we can wash down this engagement ring with poison and kerosene.” Musically, the band combines everything from simple punk melodies to intricate harmonies and even the occasional sing-along. All in all, the band is nice change of pace from typical emo and hardcore bands and doesn’t bore the listener like a generic punk band. Check them out at: http://www.mychemicalromance.com. my chemical romance official website listen to my chemical romance

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%