Review Summary: Good, passionate hardcore.
Consequence: Something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition. We have all been told by parents that there are consequences for our actions. I have waited for awhile for someone to review this album, but no one has, so here I go. Endwell started as a post-hardcore band, in my opinion. “The Missing Pieces” was a pretty good melodic EP that showed a lot of potential for the band. Then, “Homeland Insecurity” came out, and I was insanely disappointed. The screaming was bad, the drum production was terrible, and you could just TELL Victory Records was forcing this band to fit a mold. Then, Endwell was dropped from the label, and almost everyone quit the band. Endwell then came back swinging, getting signed to Mediaskare, and releasing the 5 song EP “Revenge Is A Healthy Motive,” which was appropriately titled. That EP had a lot more hardcore sound to it, and the band was undergoing a major sound change. There were some above-average tracks on that EP, like “Glaciers,” and “Sympathy For All Sufferers.” Endwell then began writing the 15-song monster that is called “Consequences.”
Awhile before the album came out, Endwell released “Weed Out The Week,” which was a demo. The vocals were good, and I liked where their sound was going. Then, on April 21st, 2009, Consequences dropped. This review may not seem conventional, because I have very strong emotional ties to these 15 songs. I did not get my username “promiseswept” for no reason. I was going through some heavy stuff in my life, just like everyone else at some point. I was down, “alone,” and was becoming a ghost in social settings. Everyone searches for some sort of meaning, and my meaning was very unclear at the time. This record means a lot to me, almost a year later. Endwell doesn’t make a lot of money. I respect them a lot for going back to their hardcore roots. One of the greatest moments of my life was playing with them with my old band. They were all super nice guys. April 21st, 2009, I sat down and started to listen to seemingly the soundtrack to my life at the time.
The first track is “Consequences.” Unknown to me, but “Consequences” and “Weed Out the Week (tracks 1 and 2)” are actually the old version of “Weed Out The Week,” just split into 2 songs. These 2 songs really set the tone for the rest of the album. This album features great, heart filled lyrics. I.E.
“Consequences...Whatever happened to second chances? Now I'm standing here empty handed. Nothing turned out just like the way I planned it. I brought this down on to myself, burning every bridge on my way out. The roads ahead are paved with fear and doubt, but there's a glimmer of hope; that happiness can be found.” –Consequences.
Or, “You left us nothing. Without a single care. Pulled the plug on all our dreams. Just left us hanging there. There is no justice. No great revenge. No ***ing salvation or deliverance. This is letting go of the past in full. We are moving on, with or without you.” -Promises Wept.
“Such Great Depths” is a little repetitive, but it’s one of the heavier songs on the album. It also features vocals from Carl of First Blood. “Promises Wept” is one of the album’s best songs. It’s fast, melodic, and heavy in all of the right spots. It also features a great, super intense breakdown, which Endwell rarely uses (thankfully). “Mike Tyson” is a short, gang-chant filled anthem re-recorded from “Revenge Is A Healthy Motive.” “The Bridge” is a little boring, and the placement of that song confuses me, because it is also insanely short, full of gang-chants, and similar to “Mike Tyson.” “Avoidant: Ghost Will Haunt” is the heaviest track on the album. It is also one of the most enjoyable. It features blast beats, sick 2-step parts, and dark sounding vocals. “John Doe” and “Whatever Distance: Fear Prudence” are similar to each other. Both are pretty melodic, and feature similar lyrical content. They are also on the slower side of things, which is a nice change of pace from “Avoidant.”
“Welcome Inferno: Wrathful And Sullen” is metal as balls. It features great, heavy guitars, and is also pretty slow. The song fades out with very quick double kick drumming, and is one of the high points of the album. “Glaciers” is next, and it’s fast, melodic, and a solid hardcore track. This song was also redone from their 5 song EP. There is also a great breakdown at the end of the song. Endwell keeps breakdowns short and sweet. “Rise and Fail” is like “The Bridge:” super short, and a good circle pit song. “Living Through The Losses” is probably my favorite song on the album. It’s a great circle pit song, the vocals are great, and the gang chants make me want to scream along. “As Low As A Life Can Get: Jumping The Shark” is all about Victory Record’s owner. It’s a good, angst-filled song. “Encounters At The End Of The World: Stars” is shorter than you may think. It’s about 3 minutes long, with about 3 minutes of silence after that. The end of the song features the band doing a comedic vocal act.
Overall, this record is good for anyone who likes hardcore. However, it’s even better if the lyrics relate to you. This record is shorter than the 15 songs would make you believe. It’s short, really sweet, and can pump you up at the same time. I owe Sean and this band a lot for writing a record that definitely fit the times in my life.
Pros:
Great lyrics
Great passion and intensity
Little to no breakdowns!
Cons:
May come off as “whiny” to some people
Repetitive Drumming
Recommended tracks:
Promises Wept
Avoidant: Ghost Will Haunt
Living Through The Losses
