Carry The TorchSacramento's CA's Carry The Torch play hardcore along the lines of Shai Hulud, Strong Arm and even could be vaguely compared to old Poison The Well. They incorporate some slight metallic riffing into their song writing and have no problems using tasteful melodic moments as well as the occasional breakdown. The vocalist has a great delivery and is actually pretty easy to decipher and as you listen to the songs you can tell the dude has feeling behind the words that he screams, definitely a refreshing sense of urgency. Every now and then he does the spoken shout that Poison The Well did and it works in my opinion. I believe this 4 song EP is the first release that these guys have put out and you're probably thinking, "only four songs?", but most of the songs are over the 4 minute mark or approach it so you're getting your moneys worth because there isn't any filler.
I can definitely get down with the lyrics that are used throughout. The opening song "Separating The Genus" eyes up a topic that is starting to become more frequently used by hardcore bands, the lack of conviction and ideals in today's scene: "Everything is sponsored, there is no underground." The next song "Circuitry" deals with the old adage of how can I help you if I can't help myself? The third track, "For All I Care It Can Burn" is essentially a song about how you don't realize how bad things are until they come crashing down and the metaphor of "Am I the plane crash or just the aftermath" caps the song perfectly. The final song "Searching For Alaska" is the singers problem of being a cynic and a realist who can't help but to think of all the bad that can happen rather than the possible good.
The one thing really holding this album back is the thin recording. It works in certain situations but for the most part the band could've benefitted from a more rounded recording. Overall, the bass, guitar, and drum tone is actually pretty good and can all be heard throughout much of the EP but it doesn't make your speakers work if you know what I mean.
The artwork which was done by Sons of Nero is appeasing to the eyes. Tying into the name of the EP, "Dead Weather", the front cover and back have withering flowers/plants placed over a contrasted purple background. The booklet is two panels and places the lyrics over a black/gray background contrasted with some of the flowers that were used throughout the rest of the layout. Overall, very nice.
Rating: 3.7/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Separating The Genus" & "Searching For Alaska"
Synopsis: All in all this is a really enjoyable listen. The only downfall is the thin recording which keeps this EP from really being a force to reckon with. If these guys use the same approach just with a better recording, these guys could go far.
As always, you're the best judge of what you like and don't like so check out the band's MySpace. If you like what you head over to Detonate Records and pick up a copy.