The southern Ontario punk rock scene has been building and swelling for quite some time now, and is about to hit it’s spilling point. While neither are relics in age, stature, or output, Wayfarer and The Decay have both contributed significantly to the face of independent music and the persistence of a scene in the area. On the surface, theDecayfarer split seems obvious; why didn’t this happen years ago? The record’s sound is anything but simple to figure out; both sides of the LP feature the respective bands at their most developed. While neither band has left their roots behind, The Decay have expanded on their street punk beginnings and Wayfarer their fairly linear pop-punk origin. Decayfarer utilizes the best in writing ability from both these young and upcoming bands.
Category Archives: Reviews
Wayfarer/The Decay – Decayfarer
Deafheaven – Roads to Judah
Rarely does a band’s demo sound so fully formed, but Deafheaven’s 2010 demo was. Essentially, Deafheaven emerged out of the proverbial womb as a seven foot, 300 pound behemoth. With their demo, they were already able to demonstrate a mastery of mixing many diverse genres and approaches. Their music expertly mixed black metal, post rock and hardcore in a masterful way. Less than a year later, they have released their first full length for Deathwish Inc and it is no lightweight either.
Direct Hit!- Domesplitter
Direct Hit!’s debut album Domesplitter is a collection of what the fans voted on as the group’s most noteworthy tracks off of their first five split 7”s, rerecorded and reimagined with a new, consistent lineup and a concrete goal in sight. The band’s signature blend of anthemic pop-punk is fairly reminiscent of genre staples The Copyrights andScreeching Weasel, and when tied in succinctly with fellow pumper-upper Andrew WK creates an unpredictable slew of party punk with enough heart to keep you coming back for more. Domesplitter hits the nail on the head like none of the band’s previous short run efforts have been able to. In true Direct Hit! fashion, the listener is slapped in the face with the first “fuck you, get pumped!” before even the opening track has a chance to make an appearance, and again a mere five minutes later.
Capsule – No Ghost
When listening to No Ghost for the first time, prepare for a shock to the system because this is a pretty big departure for Capsule. The band’s music is notoriously chaotic and with the songs from their previous full length and seven inches the listener was never sure what to expect. Capsule’s chaotic nature still exists within the confines of No Ghost, but this time has been nurtured and molded to also hold a larger sense of organization behind the madness.Ninja Gun – Roman Nose
In the years since the release of Restless Rubes (2008), Ninja Gun has gone on countless tours with the likes of Against Me!, Fake Problems and The Gaslight Anthem. Getting out of rural Georgia, must have been a heck of an experience for the band. It was also during these years that the economy was in tatters and when any hope for change has been more or less withered away. These were the harsh and troubling times that are largely reflected in Nina Gun’s new record, Roman Nose….
Cave In – White Silence
To say that Cave In’s previous discography has been allover the musical map would be a bit of an understatement. When the band began in the late nineties, they were more or less a better than average metal core band. Beginning with Creative Eclipses EP the band started a rigid program of experimentation that would confound any casual listener. Until their 2006 break up, they released recordings that could described anywhere between Space Rock to Sludge/Doom and even had some old fashion Pop Rock thrown in. Continue reading
Ampere-Like Shadows
It’s been a while since Ampere put out some new music, and if you know anything about anything, you should know that Ampere doesn’t mess around when it comes to their trade. 2004’s All Our Tomorrows End Today is considered by many to be a classic of the screamo genre, and the band as a whole is comprised of long-time veterans of the genre, especially guitarist Will Killingsworth of Orchid fame. Like Shadows is the new LP from this Amherst powerhouse, and it picks up right where their previous outing left off: intense, calculated, passionate and technical hardcore.
Joyce Manor- S/T
Ah, these past few years have been quite the rollercoaster ride. We’ve seen metalcore rise and wane almost as quickly as it came. Screamo is not a bad word anymore. Hot Topic emo kids have now moved on to American Apparel and became hipsters. Gruff voiced beard punks are the new 90’s skatepunkers and yet, amidst the constant waves of change, emerges Long Beach, CA’s own Joyce Manor.
Young Livers – Of Misery And Toil
Young Livers was a band I came across a few years ago and completely fell in love with. Their MySpace “Sounds Like” section read “thrash at rock tempo” for years and it’s just about dead on. If you need to get all nerdy with terms…maybe it’s this groove heavy, dark, scream-laden, metallic rock with post-punk sensibilities chock full of starts, stops and rhythm changes. Above and beyond all the clever term crafting, it just grabbed me right away, which is to say that even a jaded old punk rocker like myself could find something fresh and new in this quartet of 20-somethings. It’s funny that I always thought they sounded sort of like Glass & Ashes…only later to find out they had in fact shared a member in guitarist Dave Hall.
Their first EP didn’t exactly make waves, but their first full-length on No Idea Records’ The New Drop Era was a breath of fresh air in the Gainesville, FL music scene. Young Livers had quickly made a name and a unique sound for themselves, both of which are harder to do than most people would imagine. But, the final twist came after Glass & Ashes disbanded when bassist/vocalist Michael Carter became a commuting member of Young Livers, flying in from California whenever YL gets together. So for the past two years, the evidence of Michael Carter’s influence on the band has been trickling out via live performances and 7″ splits. The band’s natural progression was accelerated with more layers of vocal opportunity, a heavier, more dynamic low end and another collaborator into the song writing process.
Review: Off With Their Heads – From The Bottom
I’ll get to the point and talk about these Off With Their Heads songs I’ve been banging on about.
The first track, “I Am You,” charges out of the speakers in a steady barrage. The manifesto for the rest of the album is set out in the first lines, “If you really want to hear…” as if said as a warning, before it all comes pouring out. He’s not happy, not very happy at all. And neither are we apparently, we all loathe ourselves whether we know it or not, a sentiment I can partly agree with.
Forget the lyrics for a second though, and you’ve got the perfect song for dancing around with a big ugly grin on your face, your arm ’round your mate, singing along, spilling beer all over yourself, getting concerned looks from your girlfriend who’s now standing in the corner.
Next up, “Wrong,” with it’s Clash-like simple rocking chord progressions, chugs along, carrying with it a huge anthemic chorus. The downbeat, melancholy lyrics here, such as, “Sit back and let me tell you about the sadness … trying to destroy me,” couldn’t contrast the bounce and energy of the music more, yet it works surprisingly well.
“1612 Havenhurst” doesn’t fanny around, one short phrase and then it’s off at breakneck speed. The song is a beast, one of my favourites, and the last part is a real sing-along gem. Then again, most of the album is prime sing-along stuff.
“Go On Git Now” slows things down for that all important breather 1/3 of the way through an album. A real anthem, this would be perfect towards the end of a raucous set, where pace is no longer an issue, and the power and drive in the song controls everything. The closing part of this song I feel for the drum kit as it receives a really solid beating. The lyrics here hit a bit deeper however: “I don’t even feel like it’s worth it to start over again.” This declaration of resigned reflection is surprisingly poignant.
Track five, “Until The Day” is, again, a huge anthem of a song. (How many times can I say “anthem” in one review?) It’s a stand out track in an album of quality songs. The lead guitar in the opening makes me think of early Pulley (which it really sounds nothing like) and early Tony Hawk games. Perhaps here is an insight into my boringly mis-spent youth.
The fucking massive chorus is put off so that when it finally hits, it hits hard and direct. The vocal melody in this chorus has a simplistic quality that latches on to your brain like a leech in the jungle, dropping off after staying far too long, leaving a purple, bloody patch. But what sticks out here from the lyrics is the small element of positivity! “All of a sudden I can finally see, what’s been right in front of me, and I’m gonna do something about it!” Even if that something is to make someone else feel very miserable.
“Keep Falling Down” continues the lyrical themes of despair and frustration, but also brings in acceptance, and it makes me really want to give this guy a hug. Don’t despair mate! You write some cracking songs! The almost sombre vocals in the chorus reminds me of “To The Sea” by American Steel in its integration of wistful melancholy into pacey, aggressive music.
“Terrorist Attack” is the best song I’ve ever heard that only uses one chord. A bass and drums introduction builds the foundations for the big fuck-off steamroller that’s gathering steam and heading right for us. “Don’t fucking believe everything that you read, don’t trust everything that you see on TV. Subscriptions and ratings are all that they need.”
It’s a break from the misery and self-directed fury of the first half of the album, short and very sharp. I particularly like the guttural vocal harmonising of the low notes.
“Self Checkout” reminds me in many ways of Goddamnit-era Alkaline Trio. It’s the punk side of pop-punk, with the lyrical direction of the first half of the song dealing with themes of madness, self-loathing and generally being a bit fucked up. The tenderness of lines such as, “Did you get a chance to read the letter I sent to you? Or did you throw it away cause of everything I put you through,” jump out and are really quite affecting. This I actually find to be a really sad and stirring song. Into the second half of the song some purpose is found, and the repeated phrase of “It was all just a dream, and it’s time to come clean, and it’s time to move on, no matter how hard it seems” really hits home in a goosebumps and spine tingles way that brings to mind the power held in so many Bouncing Souls songs. A definite album highlight.
“Fuck This I’m Out” is another slightly slower-paced number that delivers a sentiment, which I’m sure will strike a chord with many, of being truly fed up with the place you’re in and desperate to leave it all behind and make a fresh start. This can be taken geographically and metaphorically, and again displays a dark shadow in Ryan’s life. “I might as well just kill myself tonight, I don’t want to, but I don’t see any other way” looks hollow on the page, but in song sounds far too believable. Someone give this guy a hug right now. There is also a nifty guitar solo, which is commendable for being totally suitable for the power and slow-burn of the song and doesn’t attempt to show off any fingertip-singeing styles.
Track 10, “For The Four,” while again dealing with frustration and despair, shows a positiveness that shines out above everything else on this album, offering up an alternative existence, a simpler life for a wife and kids in a safe neighbourhood. This song also contains my two favourite lines from the whole album: “I’m not tired, I’m exhausted,” and, “I’m not walking through hospital doors today!” And the last chorus is a clinic on how to make an absolutely fucking huge and completely uncompromising sound. This song is like a big bastard bus that is coming towards you as you’re crossing the road, and it has no intention of stopping, it will just plough you down, because it is going somewhere regardless.
All I can say about “Ten Years Trouble,” is that I think it is an awesome song, but dancing and singing along to it feels so very wrong. It is an intimate self-examination set to powerful effect against the vibrant energy of the song. The lyrics here drop any tough-guy pretensions that creep into the corners of this album and lay the issues out painfully bare for examination.
And then we come to “I Hope You Know.” At first I thought the military/marching band drum introduction was a little cliche, but once I understood the album that precedes it, I found it worked perfectly. The introduction builds steadily, with more self reflection and testament, when suddenly (and cleverly) with the line “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, from the bottom of my heart,” the song is launched into full throttle. Demons are confronted, the past is being sorted. It is a perfect finale to a near perfect punk album.
And then the album title makes sense. From The Bottom, from the bottom of my heart, and working through problems from the bottom up, a journey this album takes, starting off with themes of hopelessness and despair, gradually working towards acceptance and confrontation.
All in all, this is a painfully honest and open album, with, in fine punker fashion, a musical accompaniment fitting to charge around a room and drink lots of beer to.
– Ben Gosling –
National Underground 