cbmartinez
08-14-2004, 09:15 PM
Artist: Trustkill Records
Album: Blood, Sweat and Ten Years
Label: Trustkill Records
Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore/Metal/Punk
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00019770Q.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Bands:
Eighteen Visions
Walls of Jericho
ArmsBendBack
Throwdown
Most Precious Blood
Poison the Well
Bleeding Through
Nora
Hopesfall
Open Hand
Review:
Ten years. 1994-2004. For ten years, Trustkill has been providing America with some of the greatest metalcore/hardcore out there. Bands like Throwdown, Poison the Well and Hopesfall that set the meter for aspiring metalcore acts out there today. I think we should give Trustkill a long round of applause. And what better way to celebrate ten years then with an amazing compilation of 18 tracks by Trustkill favorites for four dollars. Sounds good to me. So when I saw the album at a local music store for that insane price, I had to pick it up. After giving it a couple thorough listens, I liked what I heard. A couple things surprised me about the album but this was a good collection, featuring good songs by good artists.
I was expecting for this CD to come roaring right in, but on the contrary, it starts off with “Waiting For The Heavens.” a softer song by Eighteen Visions from the new album Obsession. The song is full of chugging riffs but the vocals are weak. The CD does get off to a weak start, as this song is full of radio-friendly melodies and strained vocals. But Eighteen Visions new CD is another topic. The song finishes off and you’re left sitting there in a somewhat calm mood. Well whatever calmness had been obtained is immediately ravaged by the next track, “A Little Piece Of Me” by Walls Of Jericho. WOJ is fronted by female vocalist Candace Bergen, but nonetheless are one of the most brutal metalcore acts out there. A speedy, chugging riff starts this song off and soon Bergen’s pained vocals come raging in. You’ll be head banging by the time 1 minute rolls around. Here’s the Trustkill I was expecting. The song ends abruptly and I was left clinging to my seat. “The Arms Of Automation” is the next track, brought to us by melodic rockers ArmsBendBack. The song begins with a nice melodic guitar riff and the singer’s beautiful vocals. The CD once again reverts back to its softer side as ArmsBendBack try to woo us with pained lyrics and vocals. Quite a nice song. But once again the calm mood is ripped wide open, this time courtesy of Trustkill favorite Throwdown. Throwdown is notorious for their straight-edge (a way of life that includes refraining from promiscuous sex, smoking, drinking and doing drugs) lyrics, chugging riffs and brutal vocals. The most metal song on the record yet, “You Can’t Kill Integrity” will have you wanting to kill someone. Tight drums, bass and guitar will have your house rocking and soon enough you’ll find yourself singing along as vocalist Dave Peters screams, “You! Failed! Me!” The CD is getting intense. Next up, I had my first taste of Most Precious Blood with the song “Your Picture Hung Itself.” Dancing on the line between hardcore and metalcore, NYC’s Most Precious Blood pack a powerful punch. “Your Picture Hung Itself” was quite a change from “You Can’t Kill Integrity.” Where as the latter was very well produced and tight, “Your Picture” is more raw with brutal verses followed by melodic choruses as singer Rob Fusco painfully cries, “More time passes by, the more I realize, you and I were just a lie.” Over is a quick 2 minutes, this song stays in your head. Next up are both a personal and Trustkill favorite, Poison the Well. Poison the Well have gained many fans throughout their 4 CD reign and have been hailed as some and re-inventors of metalcore. Well nothing could please me more then to see one of my favorite PTW songs on this album. “Pieces of You In Me” will show people what Poison the Well are all about, providing some brutal metalcore, but all the while throwing in melodic breakdowns and amazing song writing ability. The acoustic breakdown is one of my favorite PTW moments and I almost shudder after hearing it. This CD was getting better with every track. Next up was Bleeding Through, one of metalcore’s angriest, deepest, brutal and violent acts. I don’t really dig Drop-B chugga chugga, so I expected the worst. The song turned out to be surprisingly good, with a decent stab at melody during the chorus, a nice intro guitar line and a soothing keyboard line (a surprising nice touch to metalcore). Nora’s “I Should’ve Sent Flowers” was next, and I was surprised to hear a punk sounding intro that was almost Chili Pepper-esque. The song is based around the one riff and is a hard-hitting but fun song that probably gets the pit going. The song is littered with deep, impressive bass lines and screeched vocals. As the CD reached it’s halfway point, who better to deliver their pained opus then another well-loved Trustkill favorite, Hopesfall. “The Bending” is a one of the CD’s finest points as Hopesfall deliver their six and a half mess of melody, screams and chugging rolled into one beautiful song. Though brutally chaotic at points, “The Bending” never seems to lose its beauty and catchiness. As four minutes rolls around, we are smoothly serenaded with a two-minute symphony of bass, guitar and one pained vocal line. Halfway through, I was amazed to say the least.
Well, I was eager to get on with the CD after that last track. Open Hand’s “11th Street” was well, less than amazing. Open Hand seems misplaced on Trustkill as their pop-punk riffs, melodies and vocals just don’t seem to fit in with metalcore. The instruments are played pretty well but this is one track I don’t care for. But nothing like a little Poison the Well to pick this CD back up, this time with their somewhat famous “Slice Paper Wrists” from The Opposite of December. Built out of high-pitched screams, eerie guitar leads, and chugging guitar, bass and drums, “Slice Paper Wrists” is breathtaking at points, especially during the clean breakdown. I was feeling extremely grateful towards Trustkill for putting two great PTW songs on this record. Next up, the return of melodic rockers ArmsBendBack, using the same song formula of a catchy guitar riff and soothing vocals, this time titled “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.” The chorus is undeniably catchy, but ArmsBendBack didn’t really appeal to me. Screams rare, their soft sound wasn’t what I was looking for. I crossed my fingers as Eighteen Visions stepped up to the plate again, hoping to redeem themselves in my eyes. This time offering the title track from their release Vanity, my hopes were still high. “Vanity” starts right away with brutal screams, eerie melodies and chugging guitar, but it’s apparent that they had yet to find their sound. But this song was overall a very entertaining powerhouse. I squirmed a bit with pleasure after spotting Throwdown’s name again, this time singing “Forever.” “Forever” is ****ing brutal to say the least. A raise-your-fist tribute to family and friends, Throwdown doesn’t waste time when getting their message across, curses frequent. The chorus will have you chanting, “For myself! For my friends! For my family! Forever, yeah, I’ll take this to the bitter end!” After listening to this CD, Throwdown was the band that looked most promising and Trustkill truly have got their hands on a gem. And who better to follow Throwdown better then Hopesfall, singing “Decoys Like Curves.” A bit softer than “The Bending,” the song is just as well-written, littered with some of the best guitar leads. Hopesfall is another excellent band with a bright future. Next was Bleeding Through with “Love Lost In A Hail Of Gunfire” After reading the track name, I again expected some brutal material. This time, I guessed right. The track starts with a sound clip and that breaks right open. Deep, throaty vocals spitting curses and violent lyrics here and there backed by quick leads, haunting keys, double bass drumming and chugging that could knock down a building. Though the palm-muted bridge is memorable as screamer Brandan Schieppati howls, “I wanna see your face! Show me your true, face!” backed by a wailing key line. Most Precious Blood are next with their chaotic mess “The Great Red Shift.” Another extremely promising band, Most Precious Blood achieves what they want to do with heart. And what better to close the album then Nora’s famous and amusingly titled, “Nobody Takes Pictures of The Drummer.” An extremely catchy guitar line and screamed vocals define this somewhat of a metalcore/hardcore anthem and it’s a great way to close this excellent collection.
Album: Blood, Sweat and Ten Years
Label: Trustkill Records
Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore/Metal/Punk
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00019770Q.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Bands:
Eighteen Visions
Walls of Jericho
ArmsBendBack
Throwdown
Most Precious Blood
Poison the Well
Bleeding Through
Nora
Hopesfall
Open Hand
Review:
Ten years. 1994-2004. For ten years, Trustkill has been providing America with some of the greatest metalcore/hardcore out there. Bands like Throwdown, Poison the Well and Hopesfall that set the meter for aspiring metalcore acts out there today. I think we should give Trustkill a long round of applause. And what better way to celebrate ten years then with an amazing compilation of 18 tracks by Trustkill favorites for four dollars. Sounds good to me. So when I saw the album at a local music store for that insane price, I had to pick it up. After giving it a couple thorough listens, I liked what I heard. A couple things surprised me about the album but this was a good collection, featuring good songs by good artists.
I was expecting for this CD to come roaring right in, but on the contrary, it starts off with “Waiting For The Heavens.” a softer song by Eighteen Visions from the new album Obsession. The song is full of chugging riffs but the vocals are weak. The CD does get off to a weak start, as this song is full of radio-friendly melodies and strained vocals. But Eighteen Visions new CD is another topic. The song finishes off and you’re left sitting there in a somewhat calm mood. Well whatever calmness had been obtained is immediately ravaged by the next track, “A Little Piece Of Me” by Walls Of Jericho. WOJ is fronted by female vocalist Candace Bergen, but nonetheless are one of the most brutal metalcore acts out there. A speedy, chugging riff starts this song off and soon Bergen’s pained vocals come raging in. You’ll be head banging by the time 1 minute rolls around. Here’s the Trustkill I was expecting. The song ends abruptly and I was left clinging to my seat. “The Arms Of Automation” is the next track, brought to us by melodic rockers ArmsBendBack. The song begins with a nice melodic guitar riff and the singer’s beautiful vocals. The CD once again reverts back to its softer side as ArmsBendBack try to woo us with pained lyrics and vocals. Quite a nice song. But once again the calm mood is ripped wide open, this time courtesy of Trustkill favorite Throwdown. Throwdown is notorious for their straight-edge (a way of life that includes refraining from promiscuous sex, smoking, drinking and doing drugs) lyrics, chugging riffs and brutal vocals. The most metal song on the record yet, “You Can’t Kill Integrity” will have you wanting to kill someone. Tight drums, bass and guitar will have your house rocking and soon enough you’ll find yourself singing along as vocalist Dave Peters screams, “You! Failed! Me!” The CD is getting intense. Next up, I had my first taste of Most Precious Blood with the song “Your Picture Hung Itself.” Dancing on the line between hardcore and metalcore, NYC’s Most Precious Blood pack a powerful punch. “Your Picture Hung Itself” was quite a change from “You Can’t Kill Integrity.” Where as the latter was very well produced and tight, “Your Picture” is more raw with brutal verses followed by melodic choruses as singer Rob Fusco painfully cries, “More time passes by, the more I realize, you and I were just a lie.” Over is a quick 2 minutes, this song stays in your head. Next up are both a personal and Trustkill favorite, Poison the Well. Poison the Well have gained many fans throughout their 4 CD reign and have been hailed as some and re-inventors of metalcore. Well nothing could please me more then to see one of my favorite PTW songs on this album. “Pieces of You In Me” will show people what Poison the Well are all about, providing some brutal metalcore, but all the while throwing in melodic breakdowns and amazing song writing ability. The acoustic breakdown is one of my favorite PTW moments and I almost shudder after hearing it. This CD was getting better with every track. Next up was Bleeding Through, one of metalcore’s angriest, deepest, brutal and violent acts. I don’t really dig Drop-B chugga chugga, so I expected the worst. The song turned out to be surprisingly good, with a decent stab at melody during the chorus, a nice intro guitar line and a soothing keyboard line (a surprising nice touch to metalcore). Nora’s “I Should’ve Sent Flowers” was next, and I was surprised to hear a punk sounding intro that was almost Chili Pepper-esque. The song is based around the one riff and is a hard-hitting but fun song that probably gets the pit going. The song is littered with deep, impressive bass lines and screeched vocals. As the CD reached it’s halfway point, who better to deliver their pained opus then another well-loved Trustkill favorite, Hopesfall. “The Bending” is a one of the CD’s finest points as Hopesfall deliver their six and a half mess of melody, screams and chugging rolled into one beautiful song. Though brutally chaotic at points, “The Bending” never seems to lose its beauty and catchiness. As four minutes rolls around, we are smoothly serenaded with a two-minute symphony of bass, guitar and one pained vocal line. Halfway through, I was amazed to say the least.
Well, I was eager to get on with the CD after that last track. Open Hand’s “11th Street” was well, less than amazing. Open Hand seems misplaced on Trustkill as their pop-punk riffs, melodies and vocals just don’t seem to fit in with metalcore. The instruments are played pretty well but this is one track I don’t care for. But nothing like a little Poison the Well to pick this CD back up, this time with their somewhat famous “Slice Paper Wrists” from The Opposite of December. Built out of high-pitched screams, eerie guitar leads, and chugging guitar, bass and drums, “Slice Paper Wrists” is breathtaking at points, especially during the clean breakdown. I was feeling extremely grateful towards Trustkill for putting two great PTW songs on this record. Next up, the return of melodic rockers ArmsBendBack, using the same song formula of a catchy guitar riff and soothing vocals, this time titled “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.” The chorus is undeniably catchy, but ArmsBendBack didn’t really appeal to me. Screams rare, their soft sound wasn’t what I was looking for. I crossed my fingers as Eighteen Visions stepped up to the plate again, hoping to redeem themselves in my eyes. This time offering the title track from their release Vanity, my hopes were still high. “Vanity” starts right away with brutal screams, eerie melodies and chugging guitar, but it’s apparent that they had yet to find their sound. But this song was overall a very entertaining powerhouse. I squirmed a bit with pleasure after spotting Throwdown’s name again, this time singing “Forever.” “Forever” is ****ing brutal to say the least. A raise-your-fist tribute to family and friends, Throwdown doesn’t waste time when getting their message across, curses frequent. The chorus will have you chanting, “For myself! For my friends! For my family! Forever, yeah, I’ll take this to the bitter end!” After listening to this CD, Throwdown was the band that looked most promising and Trustkill truly have got their hands on a gem. And who better to follow Throwdown better then Hopesfall, singing “Decoys Like Curves.” A bit softer than “The Bending,” the song is just as well-written, littered with some of the best guitar leads. Hopesfall is another excellent band with a bright future. Next was Bleeding Through with “Love Lost In A Hail Of Gunfire” After reading the track name, I again expected some brutal material. This time, I guessed right. The track starts with a sound clip and that breaks right open. Deep, throaty vocals spitting curses and violent lyrics here and there backed by quick leads, haunting keys, double bass drumming and chugging that could knock down a building. Though the palm-muted bridge is memorable as screamer Brandan Schieppati howls, “I wanna see your face! Show me your true, face!” backed by a wailing key line. Most Precious Blood are next with their chaotic mess “The Great Red Shift.” Another extremely promising band, Most Precious Blood achieves what they want to do with heart. And what better to close the album then Nora’s famous and amusingly titled, “Nobody Takes Pictures of The Drummer.” An extremely catchy guitar line and screamed vocals define this somewhat of a metalcore/hardcore anthem and it’s a great way to close this excellent collection.