The Boils "The Ripping Waters" CD
[Thorp]
Here's a brief EP of gruff punk rock from this Pennsylvania trio. I've never really heard much from The Boils before but this isn't bad. I especially like the darker and slightly melodic direction of tracks like "'Til Tomorrow". But the general approach of straightforward chord progressions with strong bass runs and forceful vocal arrangements isn't too shabby either. The songs are sort of catchy, but not in a poppy way at all... And believe it or not I even like the reggae/ska sounding break in "Hearts of Fire" with the clean guitars and such. Actually, I wish that part was longer, because it really does sound slick as hell! The main thing keeping me from really appreciating this is that the production seems a little bit off. I don't know what it is. I like the sound of the rhythm section, I just think that maybe the vocals are too up front and perhaps the guitar tone needs some work. The distortion is sort of strange and it kind of distracts the listen. I do like the sound of the vocals though, so their volume isn't a huge issue. It's just sort of unbalanced overall, and I'd rather hear everything be on the raw side or on the slightly cleaner side. Ironically the last song was recorded live and it sounds great - one of the best live recordings I've ever heard. I didn't even realize it was live at first. The layout looks pretty good. I like the color scheme and the old paintings of ships battling it out. It's pretty simple, but it gets the job done. The lyrics are included, there's one band photo, etc. Lyrically things sort of go along with the title of the record and reference not only ships and "the ripping waters", but battle, with some subtle political connotations and an overall emphasis on persistence. "In the heart of our country and all through the world, There's the sound of thunder and it's starting to grow, And the youth in our blood is boiling, With hearts of fire and sacred flames, Scream and shout, breaking the trance, The black sheep that got up and away from the rest, The fence has been barreled over, By hearts of fire and sacred flames..." It's a little bit hard to say based on five tracks that run a little over 10 minutes, but I could definitely see myself getting into this band. (6/10)
Running time - 11:54, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: 'Til Tomorrow, Hearts of Fire]
Thorp Records - http://www.thorprecords.com

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