Up The FuryWhat better way to get your foot in the door as a band than featuring current and ex-members of This Is Hell and Crime In Stereo? These Long Island inhabitants bring fourth a full length album containing 10 tracks which have witty song titles like "Tribal Is Never A Good Idea" (genius!), "Get Gully", and "Dude, We'd Have Like $900".
It seems these guys are riding the wave of the current influx of melodic hardcore bands that like to worship Modern Life Is War. At first I welcomed this but as time has gone on I have received one too many demos, EP's, and full lengths that take their worshiping a bit too far and it started to grate on me. To be fair to these guys, they aren't riding the crest of the wave but they aren't sinking either but even with that said this is not an album that would receive many replays from me. It is an enjoyable listen but the formula becomes all too familiar with each listening.
The guys know how to write a song for sure but an album, ah, I don't know. Usually consistency isn't a problem but here it becomes one. Each song seems to blend too easily into one another and one too many songs start off with a slow, dragging intro riff. There are moments where their hooks really latch onto me but they are few and seldom.
One of the things really saving this album from a severe case of mediocrity are the lyrics. And that always seems to be the case for these types of bands; if the lyrics don't get the job done, forget about it. The title track "Behind Every Mind" is stellar: "behind every mind are demons locked away. Behind every mind are sins I can't confess or say to you..." The last line really got me, it's simple and straight to the point but so fucking true. The song "Tribal Is Never A Good Idea" is a great song about how we are bred to be manipulated by our culture and our government.
Like all of the other Detonate Records releases the layout looks good. Nothing overly flashy, just a simple three panel booklet with lots of contrasts going on. I will say though, the front cover image of the guy in the tie with the blood splatter on the background is a bit cliche. I do like, however, the 2 panel spread with a contrasted live shot in a blue silhouette and the lyrics to "Behind Every Mind" over the top. The lyrics are easy to read, placed over a contrasted red background.
Rating: 2.8/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Behind Every Mind" & "Get Gully"
Synopsis: A solid release but nothing that I would listen to more than once or twice. I would like to see them vary their song writing a bit more, incorporate some more tempo changes. The lyrics are awesome, so no need to really fuck with a good thing. Overall, it is a solid listen but there are just so many bands doing this and doing it better, at least musically anyway.
If you like it...which matters most at the end of the day...BUY IT!