Review Summary: If we are the body, how'd the pretty man get so ugly?
Change is an overwhelming feeling really. Even in such small things as changing your hair, you always are left wondering if people are going to like it, are they going to accept the new version of me. Well with As Cities Burn I would imagine that they know this feeling oh so well. After Son I Loved You At Your Darkest ACB lost their screamer, the only really unique part of their band, to spending time with his wife. What they did next really did come as a surprise to many of their fans, they’re forged ahead without making any other lineup changes and made a CD that almost abandoned what was on their debut album. So after embracing their post-rock tendencies and creating one of the better albums of the decade what was left for ACB to do? They chose to delve into the indie genre and with great results.
MEMBERS
Cody Bonette-Vocals/guitar
Colin Kimble- bass/guitars/backing vocals
Aaron Lunsford- drums
Chris Lott- guitar
Hell or High Water is basically the brain child of Cody Bonnette and his friend Tyler Orr who basically wrote the entire record themselves with only minor tweaks by the rest of the band. The album itself starts of with the driving single ‘84 Sheepdog. From that first track you can tell your in for quite a treat, with the fuzzy distortion of the guitars and the warm vocals from Cody, it’s hard not to just smile and nod your head along with the lyrics
they fixed your brains when you were young. There is even a guest appearance by T.J. Bonnette, Cody’s brother and ex-screamer for As Cities Burn. So that song really encompasses exactly what you are in store for on this album. But after the first song the album starts to really begin the flow that makes this album so good. Whether it’s the trumpet interlude in Errand Rum or slow building synths in Made To Pretty, everything on this album manage to impress the listener. It seems as though the boys in As Cities Burn knew exactly they were setting out to make and they really hit the target.
But that brings me to one of the better songs on the record,
Made To Pretty. This song is about how we as humans were made in Gods image but we were too selfish and petty to realize this. We take credit ourselves for how good we are. The same basic backbeat is repeated throughout the entire song but Cody’s singing manages to make the song flow from verse to verse seamlessly but he still manages to keep it so very interesting throughout. Made To Pretty, simply put, is the pinnacle of As Cities Burn musical career.
But that is only the first 4 tracks of this 9 track album. Hell or High Water continues on and still manages to captivate the listener through every single track. The lyrics here by Cody Bonnette are really top notch. He uses many different metaphors and literary elements to help get his messages across. But even when he is just telling a story he manages to make memorable songs. Take for example the second to last track Pirate Blues. This song once again about his father, who left him at a young age, and wondering if they will meet up in heaven. Basically the song is questioning the different ways to get to heaven. But the real highlight of the song is the last minute or so where there is a sudden tempo change and we hear probably the best riff in the entire CD shine. Speaking of which the guitars on Hell or High Water aren’t as flashy and technical as they were on albums past but they do manage do to their job creating the proper atmosphere for this indie rock album.
Overall Hell or High Water is a great cd to “go out on” for As Cities Burn. It showcases just about everything that ever made this band good and even expands further on those ideas. The elements of Post-hardcore have virtually disappeared but that makes for an overall better experience for the listener.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS
Into The Sea
Made To Pretty
Pirate Blues
