Bleeding Kansas "1859" CD
[Abacus]
Not bad at all. I didn't know what to expect from this, but these guys crank out some caustic and pummeling metalcore that's sort of a mix of Deadguy and Botch meets Engine Kid and even The Jesus Lizard (just as reference points, not so much as literal comparisons). It's definitely coming more from a 90's sort of sound, as opposed to what most of this stuff sounds like in contemporary form. It's angular and spacious enough to give things room to breathe, and despite its frantic and aggressive nature there are still little moments of melodic flirtations, and the songwriting is definitely effective in structure and atmosphere. So, expect everything from crushing chord progressions to twisted little indie rock riffs, and then some. "Dig Your Own Grave" definitely hits on some emphatic chord progressions that possess strong melodic undercurrents, and the rhythmic shifts and winding notes work well against that. "A Simple Hello" then opens with lighter dissonant guitars and some distance to the vocals before bringing in a surging rhythm that leads into some chunky picking patterns and solid bass runs. "Where the High Trees Grow" opens with a more energetic and linear run, but later calms down fairly drastically for brief moments before tons of frenetic metal picking comes into play, making for another surprisingly diverse piece. On rare occasion (mostly in the much longer and therefore less direct "Give in and Give Up") some of the riffing reaches a more generic representation of metalcore over the last five years or so, but the overall aesthetic of this work is more creative and superior to the vast majority of these types of bands that are out there right now. The entire affair was produced by Kurt Ballou to boot, and definitely sounds excellent as a result. Everything is warm and very well textured, with a lot of detail to each individual instrument without making the mix feel hollow at all. I'd probably like to hear a little more bass guitar in there, but the drums sound stellar and I really enjoy the unique character of the guitars. The hoarse vocal screams rest perfectly against the guitars, too. Despite the very curious and detailed layout that includes numerous images and text dealing with the civil war fought between proslavery and antislavery supporters for control of Kansas from 1854 - 1859 (from which the band name was derived), the lyrics have absolutely no connection to these themes at all - instead opting for what seem to be rather typical personal trials and tribulations that don't do much for me. "This song rings of destruction, This day I wake up without you, I lost you dear, I lost you..." But all in all this is a solid EP. Were it a full-length I might desire a little more of the darker and more atmospheric work to seep in, but as it stands they're in a good place already. Worth checking out for fans of this niche of the genre. (7/10)
Running time - 25:56, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Dig Your Own Grave, A Simple Hello, Where the High Trees Grow]
Abacus Recordings - http://www.abacusrecordings.com

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