Nothing More
Nothing More


3.5
great

Review

by jitteryzeitgeist USER (36 Reviews)
August 9th, 2014 | 68 replies


Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Creative and mature in parts, Nothing More has a bright future ahead of them.

I'd like to relate that reviewing this album has a been a true bastard to review. Nothing More, this San Antonio alterna-prog-core thing has been vexing the hell out of me on how to properly describe their first major label effort. You may have heard the bands soaring single "This is the Time (Ballast)" already, and it gives you a decent idea of tone and the fairly amazing crystal pipes Johnny Hawkins has nestled in his neck. Nothing More is much more expansive an album than the single hints at, but it also shows a band early in their well-deserved career making mistakes young bands make.

As I've previously iterated, the instrumentation is tough to nail down. The guitars can go from chiming licks and runs, dirty kick-drum synced djent, wall-of-sound big chords, and emotionally textured wails. Bass and drums slither about beneath the melody, creating some truly killer fills and accents and aren't afraid to deviate from the main riff. Synth and samples provide both interesting textures, but unfortunately it can get a little saturated. At all times, the cold and desperate overtones that you'd find in much more mechanical-sounding industrial albums blend seamlessly with the ragged and angst-ridden feel of so many post-hardcore acts, accentuated with an adventurous prog playfulness, and slathered with a healthy layer of snotty "Fuck You" attitude that only rock and punk can do so well. I'm fairly averse to simply name dropping a bunch of other acts because there aren't a lot of acts that sound like Nothing More, even current radio freshment Starset and Gemini Syndrome... but if I must, then try to imagine a sort of shifting point between Protest the Hero, Alter Bridge, My Chemical Romance, and At The Drive-In. On second thought, just go listen to them, because that's probably way the hell off.

One of the best qualities of this is the absolute earnestness of the entire affair. The album pinnacle is the progressive "God Went North" (a part where the album should have ended, but more on that in a second) is drenched with so much emotion and honesty it's difficult to imagine a better use of all the elements of Nothing More. The vocals are wrenching, the synths provide a great feel on top of the rest of the band, and the whole thing just explodes into a crescendo of crushing guitars and banshee wails I'd expect to hear from more seasoned and less... well... radio friendly acts. Other songs following along here are the wounded "I'll Be OK" and "Jenny". Directly contrasting that emotionally-charged display is the much more straightforward "Christ Copyright", a low-end exercise in criminally addictive chorus construction and charged lyrics about the nature of modern-day religious activity. There's plenty of headbanging to be had here with songs like "Take a Bullet" and "If I Were".

Despite all this goodness, there's something to be said about simplicity. There are at least three filler interlude tracks that serve little purpose (especially the ten minute closer and the entire-album-repeated-remix "Surface Flames"). "Here's to the Heartache" is a mild, radio-friendly affair that could pass for a song from The Used. "Sex & Lies" has some interesting lyrical wordplay but just doesn't have the "stuff" to hold up to the rest of the album. Above all, the biggest complaint is the way the samples run roughshod over quite a bit of the album, detracting from the actual art of Nothing More's songwriting.

Nothing More showcases a band surprisingly mature for their relatively little national experience, already deep within their craft, and ready to progress. You'd be hard-pressed to find another album receiving radio airplay this dense and with this much replayability, even with the few quirks and embellishments it contains that drag it down a bit. Only time will tell if these Texans have what it takes, but all early indications are great.



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user ratings (427)
3.8
excellent
other reviews of this album
1 of
  • UnstableConnection1 (4)
    Nothing More have released a belter of an album, which acts as a shining light amongst a s...

    NordicMindset (4)
    An absolutely stunning album from rock's new superstars....

    Deuce8311 (4.5)
    "Empty me, empty nation. Emptied us of inspiration. Bastard sons and broken daughters, all...

    Killtank (4)
    Here is a solicitous and enthusiastic affair that offers nothing short of total reinvigora...

  • Outkast150 (4)
    A review of alternative band Nothing More's self-titled album....



Comments:Add a Comment 
VaxXi
August 9th 2014


4418 Comments


I love how people love God Went North. If it wasn't for a really out of place ambient intro it would be one of my top tracks of the year. Also a great review, nice to see a review on a little less than perfect review spectrum.

Drpibb
August 9th 2014


192 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

At first I really really didn't like 'Here's to the Heartache', 'Friendly Fire' and 'Surface Flames', but the more I listened to the album's back half (about Mathew Effect to God Went North) straight through, the more I really liked them all.



Even though I've had this album for over a year now, it has really taken to my liking since they inked the new publishing deal and the CD was promoted hard.





All that said, good review, pos'd!

Judio!
August 12th 2014


8501 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Damn this is good, surpassed expectations by a mile. Thinking of giving it a 4 right now.

Cimnele
August 12th 2014


2527 Comments


try to imagine a sort of shifting point between Protest the Hero, Alter Bridge, My Chemical Romance, and At The Drive-In


grosssss


sapient
August 28th 2014


2421 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0



Crymsonblaze
September 10th 2014


8232 Comments


This is the time is getting airplay on the local rock station here

Not bad at all

JayM
September 23rd 2014


46 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Awesome album. 'I'll Be Ok' and 'God Went North' are so soaked in emotion that they'd

fit perfectly in some hospital drama. I get really wrapped up in the lyrics and the music in general and

these two tracks sometimes bring a tear to my eye. First ever album to have 2 songs to do this.



Ballast, Christ Copyright, Mr MTV, Matthew Effect, I'll be OK, If I Were, Friendly Fire after the 1.50 mark,

Jenny and of course God Went North are all my favourites .



Great album.

peartnoy
October 31st 2014


2324 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I like this album but I don't quite get how the average rating is so high.

peartnoy
November 1st 2014


2324 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

God Went North is the closest a song has come to making me cry. Holy fuck these vocals.

boyematthew
November 15th 2014


7 Comments


Big Fan, Please listen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5jHSIn-IiU

LunaticSoul
December 5th 2014


2419 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I think I'm allergic to mainstream rock, but some of the bits hit haaaard. How the hell a band that has 2+ million views on Youtube and multiple passages in radio opens for Periphery?

n60storm
December 6th 2014


50 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Relistened, surprised how well it held up. Clear cut AoTY 2014.

NordicMindset
December 6th 2014


25137 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

This album would be sooo much better if it ended at Track 10.

VaxXi
December 6th 2014


4418 Comments


Track 16 tho

LunaticSoul
December 15th 2014


2419 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Well some of the tracks pack a discrete punch but some of them are quite embarassing, with weak lyrics,

playing and melodies overall. How the hell this is more than a 3.0/3.5?



Embarassing tracks:

I'll Be Ok

Here's to the Heartache

Friendly Fire



Low tier:

First Punch

Jenny

If I Were

Take a Bullet



Good tier:

the rest



The 'did we just copy a Tool riff?' tier:

The Matthew Effect





AlexTM510
February 13th 2015


1474 Comments


I saw these guys with Periphery last night and these guys absolutely killed it. Maybe it's a double standard, but the studio polish on their album kills the true aggressive nature of this band.

peartnoy
February 15th 2015


2324 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I saw them with Periphery too.

Thank you scientist and Periphery where great, wovenwar was disappointing and Nothing More was incredible.

CaimanJesus
February 26th 2015


3815 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah God went North is definitely the best on here.

BlacKapes
April 9th 2015


1962 Comments


i have them liked on facebook and every time i see one of their posts i vomit a little into my mouth, i swear they think their music will save the world or something like who the fuck do they think they are

peartnoy
April 9th 2015


2324 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Hahaha as much as I like them they definitely go overboard with their Facebook posts.



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