One of the most influential bands in hardcore, cult band Rites Of Spring is a group often credited with the creation of emo. That said, this is most surely not your Sunny Day Real Estate or American Football. Rather, this first incarnation of emo was short for "emotional hardcore", born from the DC hardcore scene where bands like Minor Threat and Void ran rampant. Guy Picciotto turns in an emotionally charged and passionate vocal performance here, especially on tracks like "Drink Deep" and "End On End", and Brendan Canty is fantastic on the kit from start to finish. Mike Fellows' bass work takes a wonderful prominence on the record, really providing a stable backbone for the group and being incredibly fun to listen to. Taking a cue from The Faith's Subject To Change, which guitarist Eddie Janney played on, the band moved further toward a melodic sound, complete with intensely personal and desperate lyrics, than any of their contemporaries at the time, despite still being rooted firmly to their beloved hardcore punk scene. Though they'd only be around a couple of years, Rites Of Spring did make some essential hardcore on this album.
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