Holy short ass CD! 12 tracks in 14 minutes from two different bands!? Go figure. Legs Up starts off with six tracks of melodic hardcore with harsh yelling vocals and I really like it. It's not generic old school hardcore even though that drive of basic chord progressions does play a role, but there's a lot more melody as well as a little bit of raw dissonance that helps give it a more contemporary edge. The aptly titled "Get Awesome" brings in a tinge of rock 'n' roll as well, so this band definitely throws a lot into the pot. The recording is good, too. Nice and thick, good definition, a strong mix... I wouldn't change much. The vocals might lean out a little far, but I love the low-end presence and overall the melody comes across nicely. The lyrics all seem pretty personal but are definitely cryptic in a sense, so you can't get too specific an idea of what's going on in any given track. "Maybe I'm the monarch of midnight, Call me 'your highness' until dawn, As I point and push my subjective knights towards destination: All gone wrong." My War follows with six more quick tracks, but their sound is definitely harsher and more dissonant, with lots of frantic picking patterns and more speed/forceful screaming. I'd say there's a little more of a punk influence as well, but that definitely helps add to their energetic writing tactics. It's not what I would call "catchy", nor is there any overt melody, but there's definitely a memorable thread in there that matches the Legs Up material well (see "The Squeaky Wheel Gets Housed" and "Leave No Record" especially). Production wise things are a little rawer on this half of the split, but the mix is very cohesive and there's enough density to carry the weight, so I like it. I think a slightly clearer sound would let more detail in the guitar parts and furious vocal textures shine through though, and that could definitely be nice. The lyrics here are succinct and to the point with very brief song explanations hinting at what the content refers to, which could be anything from hints at political issues to personal turmoil or scene commentary, but there are definitely some great sentiments here. "There is only one sure thing and it's that we all die alone. Nothing can change this. No hope. All we have is one short chance to try and do right by ourselves and the ones we love." The layout looks pretty good with lots of bright green and blue shapes collaged in with band photos and text arrangements that give it a faux cut and paste sort of appearance. A damn good split here. I'll be keeping an eye on both of these bands in the future. This one's worth looking into.
[State of Mind]
Running time - 14:17, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: His Bowtie is Really a Camera, Keep Your Shirt On, The Squeaky Wheel Gets Housed, Leave No Record]
State of Mind Recordings - http://www.stateofmindrecordings.com
