October 10, 2007

Down To Earth Approach Come Back To You [3.5/5] While Down To Earth Approach’s admiration for their emo forefathers was apparent all over 2004’s Another Intervention (Chris Carrabba even co-produced it), they weren’t quite ready to be mentioned alongside their idols. But DTEA find their voice on their long-gestating second effort Come Back To...

Burning Brides Hang Love [3.5/5] Dimitri Coats is a total douche. He says things like, “If I died tomorrow, which I hope I don’t, at least I know I have made what I feel is a great record. The kind of rock record you don’t hear anymore. So I am free,” with a straight face....

A Thorn For Every Heart It’s Hard To Move You [1.5/5] Formerly treading the blatant passageway between Yellowcard and Silverstein, A Thorn For Every Heart manage to shake off their growing pains only to churn out a sophomorically sophomore full-length full of overproduced mall-emo. It’d be generous to say half-assed meta lines like "When...

Seventh Star The Undisputed Truth [2/5] Seventh Star are another in the seemingly infinite queue of bands churning out metallic hardcore in the name of the man upstairs. Though anyone who hasn’t been living in the Antarctic since Hatebreed’s Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire and Machine Head’s Burn My Eyes has probably heard...

Pierce The Veil A Flair For The Dramatic [3.5/5] Born from the remains of melodic punks Before Today, Pierce The Veil exhibit the enthusiasm and vitriol of a band working with new lungs. And brains. Their schizophrenic attack cross-pollinates adventurous post-hardcore with Swiss-Army rock smarts and soaring choruses-sometimes, as on “Yeah Boy And Doll...

Neurosis Given To The Rising [4/5] Back in 2001, Neurosis were beyond reproach: They seemed to eat Joseph Campbell books for breakfast each morning and shit psychedelic dirge masterpieces every afternoon. Beginning with 1996’s Through Silver In Blood, they released three landmark albums in the span of five years and spurred a small cadre...

I Hate Sally Don’t Worry Lady [3.5/5] Women. Apparently I Hate Sally can’t live without them-especially since their singer, Dee Prescott is one. There are references to the fairer sex everywhere on this slab of sludge-the album title, their name (obviously) and literally every song. For that matter, it isn’t just any women’s names...

Death Before Dishonor Count Me In [3.5/5] Death Before Dishonor’s long-time-coming full-length debut Count Me In could only be more Boston if it had a Red Sox cap on its cover. These blue-collar guys are pushing 30, and even though music has been their main concern for a while, they still riff like they’re...

Calico System Outside Are The Vultures