Album: The Need to Change the Mapmaker
Label: Skipworth Records
Web: [url]www.jairusonline.com[/url]
Line Up:
Adam Bray - vocals
Dan Lucas - guitar/vocals
Jay Gillett - guitar
Ricky Laing - bass
Symon Minter - drums
From the UK comes Jairus, a 5 piece hardcore band. The band formed in October 2001 and released 2 demos before this cd, and began to gain support among many UK hardcore fans. This is their debut cd from Skipworth Records (home to the brilliant ForDireLifeSake)...released in march 2004 in the europe (and it should be released in the US around september 2004)
Once you get your hands on this cd, you will immediatley be impressed by the artwork. This artwork is absolutley fantastic and is some of the best I have ever seen in my life. Even the cd itself is printed beautifully. Are first impressions always right, however? The first song,
Lucco Sleeps On Screen kicks in, showing off Adam's sort-of airy, sort-of high pitched scream. The band shows in this song they are able to switch from a brutal sound to soft singing and back.
Sidewalk Dances begins heavier than the previous song and features Oliver Goodland (from SecondSmile fame, [url]www.purevolume.com/secondsmile[/url]). This is a standout track on the cd, the mesmorizing guitar blends in perfectly with the scream/sing mix. This isnt like any other screaming singing band, which just trades off or does the same thing as everyone else. This is an extremely original way of doing it, I'd say. Track 3,
...And Caligula Blushed has much to live up to after the second track, and not only does it live up to it...it surpasses it. The strange electronic sample brings the song into full force. Double bass pedal going, guitars playing and fast, welcoming Adam's scream. Undoubtedly one of the best songs on this cd, and the perfect pit song. The small singing part "Using all defence they drew a sense of their curfews" is perfectly placed as a semi-chorus. The band slows down and picks up where they left off, as hard as ever. Brilliant.
Cut the Six Minute Caller is where Adam gets to "talk" as music goes, but the song quickly picks up, the guitars playing completley different riffs that flow perfectly.
Next comes the strange instrument
Our Modern Red, Selfless. This song is the perfect break for the cd. It isnt too electronic, but it definetly isnt like anything you've heard. A piano comes in with a beautiful part one minute into it. It's soft and beautiful and lets you take a break from everything for a while. One of the best instrumentals I have ever heard. It slowly drags itself into
Abandons The Exterior Look where the bass gets to show itself off a little bit more than usual. It is one of the softer songs on this cd, mostly with Adam half singing, half talking.
Wilomina-Theodoseus-Hangs is not only one of the weirdest song titles ever, but its also a great song! The guitars overpower everything in the intro and lead into the song perfectly. You get a sense of Adam's cryptic lyrics (which are not included in the booklet sadly, but on their message board he has posted many of them)
We burn this town while your feet trapse through the landfills, eyes blind, eyes blind. As fallacy rules...
From caskets to cavalcades with rain-making blankets. Trapping nerves of common coins as cars make melodies. We bury this spear together in the sides of idles without consent following, stalking chalk-white outlines in the floor with your nails broken. These streets shall forget us while they trapse through the landfills. Eyes blind, eyes blind.
Trapping nerves of common coins, we bury this spear into the idles side.
Does it make sense? Not really. Does it work? Hell yes! The Double Bass pedal returns for
Spindley in a good way. It's another great track on here....Adam again screaming, singing, and talking his way through it. The guitar is another highlight in this song. The riffs can go into the background or come out full force.
Street Lights Point The Way has a great breakdown in it, and is another heavy song on this cd. The final track on the cd "
Ara Pacis begins brutally, slows down and picks up the pace again...guitars playing perfectly of the other. It ends with the fast pace guitar playing an octave for a minute or so fading out as Adam repeats "bring gasoline I'll do the murders".
The production on this cd is absolutley perfect for the band. It sounds perfect. The band's riffs, vocals, drums and bass all play so well together its as if this band has been playing together for 5 years or more. This is absolutley one of the most mature debut cd I have EVER heard.
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended Tracks: Sidewalk Dances, ...And Caligula Blushed, Our Modern Red Selfless, Wilomina-Theodoseus-Hangs
A MUST for fans of hardcore. They aren't really similar to hopesfall musically, but in the idea that they are hardcore...yet so different from most of today's hardcore bands. This really is a brilliant cd. In order to truly appreciate it...you really have to buy the cd. Im not kidding, this artwork is faboulous. I own hundreds of cds and this is definetly the best artwork out of all of them.
