Archives for April 11, 2008

Death Before Dishonor – Count Me In

April 11, 2008 by Rich Leave a Comment

Death Before Dishonor is a five-piece hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. ‘Count Me In’ is the bands third studio album to date and was released through Bridge Nine Records, the label that the band has been signed to since 2004. In my opinion this is by far the best album that the band has ever written and most certainly comprises of some of the bands finest material to date. ‘Friends, Family, Forever’ preceded this album in 2005, ‘Count Me In’ is by far the better album however; a huge improvement from Death Before Dishonor and an album that has made me think a lot more of the band.

In the past I have never particularly appreciated the music of Death Before Dishonor. On previous releases the album tracks have all sounded the same to me, this is certainly not the case here however. With ‘Count Me In’ Death Before Dishonor prove to be an excellent hardcore band with this brutal attack of music. The album here has plenty to offer, the vocals are angry, aggressive and it’s all genuinely believable. You really feel like the music means something to this band when listening, it’s by no means perfect but is most certainly an excellent album. The guitars possess great energy, the vocal display is excellent, and the drumbeats come attacking through impressively.

Thirteen tracks complete this album; an intro, eleven standard tracks and one ‘hidden’ inclusion. The music here is all incredibly high quality, none of the tracks disappoint and always there is a terrific energy running through the heart of it all. Death Before Dishonor fire through all of these tracks with great vigour, not once does this band show any signs of slowing down and always the music comes hurtling at you full throttle. The sound is well put together, all elements of the music seem to be well thought out on each and every track and this album is therefore greatly enjoyable to listen to. One of the main reasons I had not been too impressed with previous albums from this band was that it all seemed a little too hurriedly put together and there was no real talent on display, no care seemed to have been taken in the construction of the songs but that has all changed here. The sound is well worked and at every moment on this album the band has plenty to offer.

Tracks such as ‘Take Me Away’, ‘Behind Your Eyes’, and title track ‘Count Me In’ stand out strongly here. Always the music is brutal, the sound produced by Death Before Dishonor on this album is extremely intense and the music is at all points greatly impressive. The hidden track provides quite a change in direction, mainly because it is in fact a cover of the classic Cock Sparrer track ‘England Belongs To Me’. It’s nowhere near as impressive as the original, it’s still quite an interesting track however and the decision here to rename it ‘Boston Belongs To Me’ is vaguely amusing. Cock Sparrer purists may not appreciate the track too much, I however see its inclusion as quite an excellent way to end this ‘Count Me In’ album. Death Before Dishonor growl through this cover, it’s a lot lighter than the rest of the album however and I feel that this track winds the album down nicely.

Death Before Dishonor is an excellent hardcore band, with this album the band has really impressed me and entirely changed my opinion of the music. What I once perceived to be a generic and creatively lacking band has here shown drastic signs of improvement and released an album that is packed full of excitement and truly fantastic musicianship. With the bands previous two albums never had I found the music particularly interesting at all, ‘Count Me In’ however is a hugely appealing album of hardcore brilliance. The album clocks in at just under half an hour in length, the tracks are short and always the music is packed full of a high level of excitement. Too many horribly creatively lacking bands are present in the hardcore scene of today, Death Before Dishonor is no longer one of them however and I personally would definitely recommend giving this ‘Count Me In’ album a listen if you happen to be a fan of the genre.

Label: Bridge Nine Records
Release Date: 22nd May 2007

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Wednesday 13 – Skeletons

April 11, 2008 by Rich Leave a Comment

‘Skeletons’ is the third full length studio album from Wednesday 13 as an independent recording artist, a man best known for his vocal contribution in the music of Murderdolls. This album is a lot more personal than the first two Wednesday 13 albums ever were, the lyrics delve into the subject of his almost life ending depression and the music is all here greatly effective. The vocals are fiercely sung, the guitars come across strongly, and the drums provide the perfect back beat here. The music is well put across and always the horror punk sound of Wednesday 13 comes through fantastically well.

Whilst ‘Skeletons’ is most definitely a more personal album than the first two, not all of the tracks present here deal with the personal life of Wednesday 13 and in most cases the standard lyrical subjects are here covered that we have come to expect. The lyrics are sometimes dark, but often this is just a fun horror punk album from Wednesday 13; a greatly energetic display of aural excellence. Horror runs through the very heart of this album, always the music is massively exciting and not once does the sound of Wednesday 13 disappoint. It’s personal in part and it is this about the ‘Skeletons’ album that makes it so strong to listen to, the lyrics are poignant and the way they are sung by Wednesday 13 is highly passionate. As you listen to this album there will be times when you feel that you enter deep into the troubled mind of Wednesday 13, the lyrics are so strong and always they are impressively well written.

Tracks such as ‘All American Massacre’, ‘Not Another Teenage Anthem’, and ‘Put Your Death Mask On’ from this album all impress hugely. The music is just so powerful, the guitar riffs are huge and the vocals truly are exceptional. Wednesday 13 is a highly talented vocalist I feel, always on this album the music impresses massively and not once does the voice of this man disappoint in the slightest. Such passion is contained within this vocal display, never does the energy here diminish and always in fact the vocal performance borders upon perfection. The way the chorus rings through on ‘All American Massacre’ is supremely striking, the vocals are extremely hard hitting and when listening to this track I personally feel a stunning sensation of utmost enjoyment. All the way through this album in fact I enjoy the music greatly and not once does the sound of Wednesday 13 fail to impress me. From start to finish this ‘Skeletons’ album is an admirable effort from Wednesday 13; the lyrics are hugely effective and musically it is excellent also.

Instrumentally I feel that there is a lot to take from this album, particularly from the guitar work that is shown here. Always the guitar riffs soar and conquer, on title track ‘Skeletons’ in particular the guitar work is here truly exquisite. Everything about this one is excellent in fact, all elements of the music are spot on and lyrically this track has plenty to offer. I feel that with this album Wednesday 13 has really recorded his best work to date, the personal experiences that are written into the lyrics really make this ‘Skeletons’ album stand out as sensational. A lot has happened in the life of Wednesday 13, he uses it all to his advantage here however in order to produce the album of a lifetime; an extremely personal and highly interesting display of horror punk supremacy.

Horror punk does not always work, the genre was defined by the magnificent band The Misfits but often when bands try this sound it just isn’t pulled off quite right. With ‘Skeletons’ I feel that Wednesday 13 does the genre proud and has here produced a truly brilliant album. Eleven tracks are featured here and from start to finish the album is absolutely flawless. I love each and every one of these tracks, the lyrics really mean something and to listen to this album you can really tell that Wednesday 13 has put his whole heart into this release. The music alone is enough to make this album stand out strikingly, the lyrics add such heightened depth however and help hugely in the process of making this ‘Skeletons’ album the phenomenal display of horror punk that it is.

Label: Demolition Records
Release Date: 12th May 2008

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.

Too Pure To Die – Confidence and Consequence

April 11, 2008 by Rich Leave a Comment

Too Pure To Die is a hardcore band from the American state of Iowa. ‘Confidence and Consequence’ is the bands début album which originally surfaced in late 2006. Since then the band has changed its singer however and when Trustkill Records got hold of the album it was their opinion that the album just had to be re-released complete with new singer Paul on vocal duties. So ‘Confidence and Consequence’ is back complete with a new mix, new mastering, and a brand new bonus track also in the form of ‘What’s Left’. It was an excellent decision to re-release this album I feel and in doing so more people will surely hear this exceptional début album that is ‘Confidence and Consequence’.

Title track ‘Confidence and Consequence’ kicks it all off and none of the tracks on display here are in the slightest bit disappointing. The music is highly energetic, the vocals are brutally shouted, and the guitar riffs boom through with great vigour. Throughout the ten tracks of this album not once does this band disappoint and always in fact the music is absolutely excellent. The guitars possess such great power, the vocals are spot on, and every element of the music just seems to come together perfectly here. Hardcore bands often fall into the trap of sounding all too generic, this is certainly not the case with Too Pure To Die however and always on this album there is a great energy running through it all, a fantastic passion shown on behalf of the band which provides for an excellent listening experience.

All of the tracks on this album sit comfortably around the three minute mark, the vocals always come bellowing powerfully through and always it is the guitars that make the music so brilliant. Two guitarists are present in this band, each of them excellent and always contributing magnificently to the brilliance of Too Pure To Die. The guitars and vocals are always at the forefront of the bands sound, the drums take a bit of a back seat and are nowhere near as important in creating the epic sound of this band. Occasionally the drum beats can be heard protruding through and when they do the sound that can be heard it brilliant, there can be no denying the excellence of this bands drummer but in truth it is most certainly the vocals and guitars that are here most stunning.

The album clocks in at a grand total of half an hour in length, brand new bonus song ‘What’s Left’ is the track that is given the honour of bringing the album to its close. The sound that is here created is actually quite different to that of the rest of the album, there’s a change in vocal approach here and the vocals become much more of a growl. Throughout this album the music is extremely heavy but here the band takes the brutality up a notch and the intensity of it all becomes even greater. Cymbals are integrated into the sound more freely here and the drums therefore become more noticeable and vital to the music. It comes as quite a shock to the system this one, for all of the album we have been used to hearing a similar sound and here this all changes for one final moment of extreme aggression. It works well I feel and signifies supremely the intended future direction of this band now that a new vocalist has been integrated into the line-up. There is no doubt in my mind that with all further albums from Too Pure To Die, the vocals will possess much more of a growl about them.

‘Confidence and Consequence’ is an excellent album from Too Pure To Die, a brilliant début offering which has here been supremely remastered. For all fans of hardcore and metal I’d definitely recommend the music of Too Pure To Die, there’s a great energy about the music and something about the sound that this band produces which makes it all excellent to hear. Not one of these ten tracks disappoints, the final track on the album provides an interesting change and always the music enthrals. This album is a big and bold offering of hardcore, the guitar riffs provide a menacing metal presence and never does this band show and signs of slowing down throughout the albums half hour duration. The music is fast and fun, it will not appeal to all but it will certainly appeal to many; it’s heavy enough to please hardened fans of the genre, but also approachable enough to appeal to casual listeners of hardcore and metal alike.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: 28th January 2008

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Rich

UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.