Can I review this? Yeah? Ok. It’s not too old, cos unless it’s a misprint, the insert says it was recorded in ’95, and mixed in ’97. Apologies if you own this already, you rule if you do.
Here’s my story. A few months ago I stumbled across a website entitled “What The Heck Is Emo Anyway”, and very informative it was too. The bit I found to be of most use was the section that listed ten ‘must own’ records for each emo ‘generation’ (emo, emo hardcore, emocore, indie emo). Fuck yeah! I had to check these bands out, I wanted to know where the stuff I was listening to was coming from. So I began my quest, I quickly found the easy to get hold of record by Rites of Spring. That was pretty good. Next up was Native Nod, who I learned had Chris Leo (Van Pelt / the Lapse) in. Got a hold of that one – and wow. Easily one of the best things I’ve heard this year. Things got a bit troublesome after that one. Turns out that a lot of the old stuff had gone out of print, and what are the chances of finding old out of print US records in the UK? As I was beginning to give up hope, I spied a Moss Icon LP in the Crackle distro. Got me order in on that one, et voila, another awesome record in my collection. Things went very quiet after that, until this past week. At a gig the other day I was thumbing through a big box of LPs and I saw the name – Torches to Rome. I remember seeing their name in connection to one of the other bands on the list (Fuel) so I thought – what the heck, four pounds, give it a check. You’ll be finding my opinion of this record in a minute. And then things really took off when I found a couple of other distros that were stocking even more of these bands! So, as of now, I am expecting records by Antioch Arrow, Angel Hair, Still Life and Indian Summer in the post. Woo hoo! It is safe to say that finding this website has fucked up my interest in the whole emo thing pretty bad (a long with my bank balance), as I now am finding a lot of the newer, more ‘rock’ stuff that seems to be the rage right now just not clicking with me.
Ok, Torches to Rome. 8 songs, plays at 45 speed. And plants dynamite in my head, lights the fuse, then retires to a not particularly safe distance and proceeds to violently punch me in the stomach till detonation. As soon as the first crunch of “Mass For The Dead” breaks out of it’s wavery intro and into the pounding, blasting hardcore powered by the delivery of dual vocaled snarls and desperate screams I’m floored. And once it winds down and then kicks off again into “Young Arsenal” and they introduce the kinda slightly more melodic elements I’m having fits. I’m sure Hot Water Music have ripped off bits of “This Is Not A Life”, particularly the intro and the part where it all slows down for some dual vocals. Actually, that’s the only comparison I am capable of making. A more political, more frantic, more intense, more heavy Hot Water Music. Argh! Tracks like “The Guards Are Itchy”, how the fuck do they pound so hard yet have the vaguest traces of melody in there to keep everything together?
Chuck in some inspiring writing and lyrics on the blood spattered insert and you have the full package. Full on, “fuck you” intelligent, emotional, political hardcore. I just wish it had more than 8 songs, it’s not enough! I guess I now need that ultra elusive Fuel compilation CD. *sigh*
I will never be able to listen to emo hardcore comfortably again, as in my mind I will just keep comparing it to this, the record which has redefined that style for me. I heard Boy Sets Fire for the first time the other day, I was expecting it to be awesome. It sounded ok, but kind of limp after having heard this. Oops.
Which about wraps my essay up. I might be a bit late for the train, but at least I caught it eventually, eh? You have no business listening to emo hardcore bands unless you have heard this first. Let me add the same thoughts as however many have had the privilege of hearing this before me – an absolute classic punk record.