"Caught with his pants down, the boy in the band must now face the music -- along with eight others, following a drunken romp in a motel, police said.
Westfield police spokesman Mike Wheeler said Monday that nine members of rock bands touring the Midwest are facing prosecution here after a weekend bash sparked complaints of a naked man running the halls of Comfort Suites. Wheeler said several guests at the hotel near U.S. 31 and 146th Street had complained about the nude man, who was found in the fourth-floor stairwell still naked when police arrived and led him to his room about 8 a.m. Sunday. "Inside the room, six other males were found passed out," Wheeler reported. Two more were found outside, sleeping in a van. Two of those arrested are believed to be members of a Denver-based hardcore rock band called The Blackout Pact.
Seth Piracci, 25, was jailed on preliminary charges of criminal mischief and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Wisam Alshabi, 21, faces the same charges."
Hahahahahahah. Ok with that said this is going to be first of hopefully many short reviews I don't have the time that others do who write massive reviews and I'm not going to be proof reading this (even though i should). In regards to the quote above, the blackout pact were touring with the best band under 21 The Fall of Troy and were suspected of robbing and/or trashing some chicks house. I visited the girls Gayspace and she was an obvious crack whore groupie but anyways I was quite happy to see a band get arrested. There is not enough bands getting arrested nowadays. Ok enough said on to the review.
The Blackout Pact is IMO one of the best new punk post-hardcore groups. Hailing from Denver, Colorado these guys all came together after being kicked out of their previous bands and boy do they make a comeback. Drawing a lot of influence (almost too much) from heavy hitters like Hot Water Music and Alkaline Trio but do have a unique very catchy almost drunken (above) appeal to it. One thing that will have flame boys jumping about is that the album was produce by that guy in Thursday, also known as Geoff Rickley. I happen to like Thursday but was still spectacle of him producing a band like The Blackout Pact that didn't really share characteristics with Thursday. Did any Thursday-esq. things appear on this album? Nope this album is far from any Thursday album.
What is similar to thursday is we get to hear Geoff Rickley sing some backup vocals. Which is nice cause it contrast's the Blackout pact's very raspy vocals with not much range. I guess he's singing cause he's not really screaming, it kind of reminds me of Make Yourself Sick Voxs minus the harsh screaming. That’s not the only comparison to Boys Night Out I got for ya. They also use clapping like in the single "We Drink So You Don't Have To" and group vocals throughout the album and boy is it done well. The vocals aren't poppy but will have you singing along (you and me are probably just as bad as a singing as this guy) and suit the music very well.
Instrumentally these guys aim for catchy post hardcore/punk guitar riffs. It comes of as very catchy and likeable but fail with the same simplistic riff through-out alot of the album like in "I Punch You, You Punch Me" (You hear the same lead guitar riff through-out the whole album. Speaking of "I Punch You, You Punch Me" you get to hear the almighty Geoff Rickley sing. At 2:52 you hear an almost slight whisper and honestly it sounds like Geoff Rickley is singing a Thursday song in the background very quietly.
Drums and Bass are as average as they come. Neither are poor, neither are great. Very average and do the job i guess.
The rest of the album is full of songs very similar to their two best songs "I Punch You, You Punch Me" and "We Drink So You Don't Have To" which are on both their purevolume and Gayspace sites. Take a listen if you like those two songs you'll like the band and album.
These guys def aren't groundbreaking but they do a good job at it. This is a fairly solid Debut album and if these guys stick together I look forward to them maybe working with a different label and/or producer. I strongly recommend listening to some of their tracks.
3.5/5 for me but really around 3/5.
This review is dedicated to Melissa, Happy 19th.
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