Review Summary: Emotional, melodic hardcore of the future.
The Carrier is a band that truly amazes me. In 3 songs, they've thrown in more emotion than any band has in their entire discography. And even more surprising, 3 of the members are
still in high school. They describe themselves as being from "Northofboston" and are extremely proud to be in the underground scene. These guys take their music seriously, but aren't overly pretentious and don't focus straight on being the most brutal band around (you know, like Death Before Dishonor try to do). The Carrier are one of Boston's newest and most interesting hardcore bands. Their brand of powerful melodic hardcore is the next chapter of evolution in their genre. Emoting with a goose-bump inducing fervor unlike any other band out there today. That's how they describe themselves, nothing overly flashy like "we're the most brutal band around, you better take notice."
The Carrier is:
Anthony - Vocals
Tim - Guitar
Dickie - Guitar
Freddy B - Bass
Mike - Drums
My friend told me to check out these guys on a whim, saying that this was one of his favorite hardcore bands. This album blew my mind. While the young age does help with the energy channeled through, they lyrics are extremely deep and metaphorical. These guys seem to share the "misanthropic" mentality of Shai Hulud.
All aboard the conductor screams
He knew he was the only one the could save their dreams
He had to pick who lived and died solely by occupation
He played God in all their lives
He was the reason why a million people had to die on that day
And as he stared into all their faces, he heard the screams of those trying to be saved
"No. 51" starts out with a subtle bass/drum intro, but the screams come in, with emotion pouring out at the tip of every line. "No. 51" is about the end of the world and how no one can save the last person. The fictional train in this track promises salvation, salvation to get away from your life, even though in the end you know you won't be able to. The screams before the outro of "no love can save me" will strike a chord in your heart.
The musicianship on this album is truly above the league in the world of hardcore. The only average player in the band is the bass, and he is audible, but really doesn't add much other than to the heaviness. The two guitar players weave through beautiful distorted riffs and the drums, while not technically impressive at all times, does throw out some nice fills from time to time. The lyrics tower over you and give you a sense of despair, depression, and hatred. The vocals rip apart your ears from piece to piece with not only deep screams, but deep emotions. They may become a little monotonous as time goes on, but the emotion never does.
As this is only 3 tracks long, there really isn't much to say to this, other than get this if you are fan of any type of melodic hardcore. As for this band, they are definitely on my watch list for future releases, as for their young age, they have
A LOT of potential.
