Evergreen Terrace "At Our Worst" CD
[Hand of Hope]
This band is weird. Out of their last three CD's, only one of 'em is an actual full-length of new, original material. I like the band, don't get me wrong, but come on, do we really need a 30-minute CD of live and demo material to hold us over? Is there that much of a clamoring for something "new" from Evergreen Terrace? There probably is a certain call for new material, but I'm not sure this is it. Admittedly I've never been a big proponent of live recordings, and these songs do actually sound shockingly good for having been recorded live nearly a year ago (at Jack Rabbits in November 2003), but it's still not something I'd choose to listen to over their studio material. One of the live tracks seems to be unlisted, as there are 11 songs on the CD, six live, but only five live tracks are credited - including the Smashing Pumpkins cover. The one new song, the unreleased "You're Entering a World of Pain", is definitely awesome though. By far the best song herein. Worth the price of a full CD? Hell no, but a damn good track nonetheless. The last four cuts are from the band's 2000 demo, which they admit in the liner notes "sucks" (their words, not mine) since they had only been together for a few months when the songs were written. It could be far worse, though. The recording is a little muddy but certainly competent and easily listenable, and the songwriting is a little jumbled and incongruous, but there are still some moments that point to the promise the band is continuing to develop. Admittedly there are some weak tracks on the demo, but that's life. The layout is themed like a horror movie poster and actually does look cool, though the booklet is a little skimpy with just credits and a brief paragraph explaining the release as opposed to lyrics, etc. So there's not much there in the end. I don't know, this is a decent disc, but it's not really necessary. I'd rather the band keep people waiting and take care of a new full-length, which I am actually curious to hear, I must confess. This basically comes off as a filler release though, so... I'll pass. (5/10)
Running time - 29:39, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, Zero, You're Entering a World of Pain]
Hand of Hope Records - http://www.handofhoperecords.com

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