Morning After "True Drama" CD
[Full House]
Here we have some Finnish metalcore, and the first thing that hits me about this record, aside from the fact that these guys are definitely influenced by Madball, is that the recording, while not bad, definitely needs work to really convey the force that these songs could hold. The drums are way, way too rigid and tight - a sound that many European metalcore bands are using these days for some odd reason. Other than that the main problem is that the guitar tone is really strange... it's just really unnatural and lacks warmth. The vocals sound fine and the bass is back there, but I'd add a crunchier, warmer distortion to the guitars, turn the bass up, and work with natural (or at least less over the top) drum tones for sure. That would make this stuff sound killer. As for their style, it's definitely NYHC styled material with a little bit more metal thrown in. As I said it reminds me a lot of Madball at times, but tracks like "The Remaining Two" and "Good Times" have a few faster chord progressions that come off sounding more like The Exploited's brand of punk than they do traditional hardcore. It's pretty straightforward stuff: Throaty vocals, basic chord progressions, some palm-muted metal rhythms, lots of moshy breakdowns, all that stuff. There's a little bit of a toughguy vibe and some of the vocal lines have a hip-hip sort of flare to the arrangements, but it doesn't bother me. The layout's alright. I really like the brown colors and the layered images and textures in the background. The photos are pretty good as well, but the whole "one photo per set of lyrics" thing is getting overused, and in this case it's often a stretch to connect the photos to the content of the lyrics. The type is also very plain... legible, but plain, and that takes away from the visual experience I think. The lyrics are pretty typical, dealing with the hardcore scene, persistence, friends who stick by you and friends who turn their backs on you, and some personal stuff as well. "I don't know you anymore my friend, Always wanted to end things on a positive note, But it's so hard to do, It feels like hitting my head on a brick wall, And nothing is getting through..." I have no idea why the hell they actually titled one of their songs "Tears of a Clown", though. And no, it's not a cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (thankfully). This isn't anything original, but I definitely like it. My ears adjust to the recording after a couple of songs, but they still need a more efficient recording to really do their damage. Not too shabby. (6/10)
Running time - 26:15, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Denial, Failing in Suicide, Swansong]
Full House Records - http://www.fullhouserecords.com

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