Between Home And Serenity is:
Ian: Vocals
Anthony: Guitar
Adam: Guitar
Mike: Bass
Brian: Drums
2005 Rust Records
Between Home and Serenity is a band from Cleveland, Ohio that formed in 2003.
I first heard of BHAS in AP magazine. The paragraph on them was enough to inspire me to check the out and they recommended them to fans of Thursday (big Thursday fan here). Checking them out was a good plan. At first they may seem like just another typical “screamo” band (I hate that term and people who use it in a serious conversation should have their vocal chord rights removed) but upon close listen, they break through the dull and gave me hope in emo music again.
To compare them to Thursday and Atreyu seems justified by their sound. The screaming vocals do sound like Thursday somewhat, and sometimes even a bit like Bert from the Used, giving them an old-school The Used sound at times.
But enough of that, lets breakdown the album.
1. Flawless Victory: Great intro to the album. Starts off with a nice snare intro that breaks into a heavy intro guitar riff making you glad you decided to give them a try. The verse comes in with a choppy guitar riff and for once a singer in this genre has a voice that doesn’t sound like nails on a chalkboard (stupid Motion City Soundtrack…). Good catchy chorus, but what really does it for me is the breakdown where he shows off his pipes screaming Keep the strength in you. Nice opener 9/10.
2. Tranquility: First song I ever heard by these guys. Palm muted intro explodes into the verse which thunders on into a heavy chorus with clean and screamed vocals battling back and forth on a battle ground of double-bass drums. Slows down for the bridge with background vocals nicely harmonizing along. Ends with some feedback kicking you into the next song. 8/10
3. Drain Out: Decent song. The dueling vocals really didn’t quite do it for me as much on this song and I didn’t find the chorus as catchy as most are on this record. What saves the song is the ending which is just incredible, worth 2:30 wait to the end. 6.5/10
4. To Redefine: Oh God, what a song. Starts off mellow with some palm muting, then slowly increases in intensity until it rocks out into the chorus. I love the chorus in this one, the guitar riff coupled with Ian screaming is stunning, and the crowd effect shouting back the lyrics in the second verse really gets you going. This is the first track on the album to feature a solo, which is quite good and shows off their abilities. Make sure to catch this song. 10/10
5. Almost Only Counts: Nice little bass intro that slowly builds as the other instruments are added on. Nice heavy song with an awesome breakdown that goes from mellow to very heavy. Worth a good listen. 8/10
6. Words Unspoken: Good drum intro, has kind of a pop-punk feel to it when the guitars kick in. The vocals are rather soft and seemed drowned in the music. At about 2:30 the song completely switches gears into a soft jazzy drum bridge with Ian talking. Kicks back and leads into a great ending of screaming. 8/10
7. This Visible Camouflage: I really enjoy the guitar work on this song. The ending gets you really going but then it kinda just drops off. Still another good song however, I really dig the intro. 7/10
8. Fall: Great into that gets you pumped up for the song. I like the way it drops out and bust back with double-bass in a few times in the second verse. The song seems to come to an end at about 2:40, then comes back in with a very different sounding fast distorted palm-muted riff and some screaming. Once again, the song just sort of stops. 8/10
9. Until Dawn: Nice heavy song. The drumming is very good and includes lots of bass rolls. The pre-chorus features some nice use of the two guitars, and the muffled screaming in the bridge sounds great. The song gets soft, busts back in, and as in Fall, it seems to have come to an end. When the music comes back in, you would assume it is the next track. The last 30 seconds are intense. 8.5/10
10.Displacements Secret Crash: Great palm-muted intro. The way the verse begins with several vocal tracks of Ian shouting the words all mixed together sounds sweet. Kinda does the whole Thursday thing with him going from talking to screaming. The breakdown features some great guitar and drum riffing as well. 8/10
11. Just A Phase: I wish this song was longer than 2:05. It’s one of the best on the record and features some great guitar work, good lyrics, and a mind-blowing breakdown. Excellent song. 9/10
12. Bleeding Night: The final song on a record is critical. It is your last chance to deliver and you have to try to leave the audience feeling whatever it is you want them to feel. So as always, I have high expectations for the last song and this song definentally meets and exceeds my expectations. The guitar work is awesome, the drums pound away and are full of head-turning fills. This is ear candy at its finest, this song is just heavy and INTENSE. From the second it begins, you know you are about to embark upon your final voyage, and the trip is going to be amazing. 10/10
overall this album is awesome. The raw intensity really makes it and the musicianship is grand. deff an album to check out if you already havent. 8/10 overall
recomended tracks:
To Redefine
Bleeding Night
Flawless Victory
