Labels: Belladonna – Fragil
Review by: Andy Malcolm
I Hate Myself are one of about two bands in the US that are still putting out decent new school emo the sounds more like the Sunny Day scene than the hardcore bands. This is helped by the fact that they easily have one of the best vocalists going in the genre. The song here, “To A Husband At War” is not the greatest I have heard by them, but when it comes to emo rock it is a long way out in front of everyone else I’ve heard since Braid. It begins all jangly and slow a little like the immortal Christie Front Drive, and the vocals drift into the picture, totally strained and on the edge of cracking up. The guitars sound a bit at odds with each other at times though, I’m not sure why. Anyways, the song is building up to the loud climactic emo rock ending, as guitars crash all around and the singer is being drowned out by the spiralling noise. An end of the world emo special. Deep Elm would kill for a band this good.
The band with the hardest name in hardcore line up on the other side, Strike Force Diablo. They offer up a couple of tracks, the first being “Lift Me Up”. This track severely reminds me of 12 Hour Turn at it’s more melodic and passive moments. The rest of the time, SFD are blending in slightly more of chaotic elements of emo hardcore and some excellent, dual shouted vocals. Cool track. “Sleeping Hollow” is dark and eerie emo with talked vocals. Think Moonraker but with talking rather than that quirky sounding singer boy.
Super solid split.