Labels: Act Your Age
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Man, the postal services treated this record bad. There is a big story that goes with this review as to the travels of this piece of plastic, but for once, I’ll spare you. Anyways, there is a very obvious crack in the vinyl, and you can kind of bend it a bit. I’m figuring if I bend it a bit further, it’d break. And that’d be a shame, as it’s not due for a bustin’. But hey, it plays, so read!
So correct me if I’m wrong, but this is at least 1 ex member of Cedar of Lebanon. Just don’t expect any similar post-hardcore screamy emo goings on. Instead, we have two songs of the emo rock persuasion. “Denver” has the nice twinkly intro, strained empassioned vocals over stop-start riffing in the loud parts, big thumping drumming and also some more Christie FD twinkly parts. So it passes the 4 part guide for writing late 90’s emo rock. Reminds a lot of bands like Chamberlain, Texas is the Reason, and, well, Sunfactor. Dig the military drumming part. Um, yeah, good song, if not ever coming close to defying convention. But then again, they never said that that is what the aim was. “Cease To Exist” starts off with the powerful vocals and keeps the rock coming, I think I prefer “Denver”.
Certainly as good as much of the emo rock that has come and gone since the originators of the style wandered off into the night, although perhaps not essential. Love the understated packaging.