Derringer "A Rock and Roll Tragedy" CD
[Zero Velocity]
Hmmm... not bad. The recording's too raw for this style, and the vocals are way the fuck over the top for as melodic as the music is... but it's not bad. It's basically ultra melodic old school styled hardcore with a slightly more modern flare of metallic edges and a bit of heavy emo. The vocals, though, are insane screams with a hint of distortion - bordering on something Converge-esque. Very abrasive and aggressive in contrast to the generally melodic and forthright musical structures. I'd mind the vocals less if the recording were better. It's too damn thin. Actually, the bass tone is pretty cool, but there's still a huge gap in the mix because nothing else has much density. The drums sound alright, but the guitars are too dirty with midrange and lack fullness, the vocals are crispy and really stick out, and the mix isn't cohesive. For the most part it's clear, but the faster parts get a little sloppy. They really need a thicker sound with more fluidity to pull this off. "The Embers Still Burn" contains some nice dissonant chords held back by totally generic melodic Swedish styled riffing; "Kingdom Come" is faster, shorter, and more energetic than the other tracks; "The Color of Sadness" kicks the average speed up a notch with some thick chords and driving hardcore runs (as well as a few singing backup vocals); and "The Untitled End" is definitely one of the most promising/memorable songs herein for sure. I'm not too big on the layout because it's a little busy and inconsistent, but I do think the high contrast designs of the black and white pages have a pretty original look to 'em, which is interesting. None of the imagery is too exciting, but it gets the job done. Lyrically things are personal and pretty abstract, so I'm not opposed to the content, but I'm also not really caught by it. "My feet, slipping on the rocks where the tide recedes. Washing me out to sea. My mind is spinning all these webs of insecurity. Leaving me in agony. I can't even sleep at night. Waking up with bloodstained sheets when I know it's all in my head..." I'd like to hear more from these guys with a stronger production quality and none of the useless melodic Swedish riffs. They're not an original band regardless, but they're far better at the more hardcore oriented rhythms, and that's where their efforts should be directed. Not bad, but I'm not blown away by any means. If they keep at it they'll probably drop some cool material. (5/10)
Running time - 27:34, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Kingdom Come, The Color of Sadness, The Untitled End]
Zero Velocity Records - http://www.zerovelocityrecords.com

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