OKComputer1016
06/13/09, 05:11 PM
Stop It! – Self Made Maps
Record Label: Robotic Empire
Release Date: July 29, 2003
Who?
On the long list of bands that sound nothing like their band moniker would imply, Stop It! is near the top (right next to Daughters). You’d think Stop It! would have been a cheesy pop-punk band, but instead they played a very serious brand of emotionally charged hardcore music, making them very appropriate for the Robotic Empire roster. They weren’t around very long, but their music was typical of the Virginia and DC emo brand (which of course means the good kind of emo), and fans of that scene haven’t forgotten this album.
How is it?
Pretty sloppy. There are a few moments where it’s tough to get past the insane drums, and unfortunately one of those moments is about 4 seconds into the first track, “Maybe She’s Born With It” (talk about misrepresentative titles! “Remove Your Teeth”, later in the EP, makes a lot more sense.) But there are more good moments than bad ones to be found. “Amen & Boys” has such a creepy guitar part it sounds like Majority Rule wrote it, and it’s not hard to get lost in tracks like “Name + Number” and “Here’s To New Shortcuts.” At times the music seems very thrown together, like the songs hadn’t been rehearsed enough before they were committed to tape. The vocalist is never as engaging as you’d want him to be – he sounds like he’s improvising a lot of the times – and the guitar leads, although awesome, sound tacked on in songs like “Captin Roboto.” This isn’t the best album in the Robotic Empire discography, but it won’t disappoint a fan of this particular style of music – you know who you are. It’s a shame that Stop It! didn’t stick around to realize their full potential.
Recommended If You Like:
Malady, Majority Rule, Haram
Check ‘em Out:
www.myspace.com/stopitunofficial (http://www.myspace.com/stopitunofficial)
Record Label: Robotic Empire
Release Date: July 29, 2003
Who?
On the long list of bands that sound nothing like their band moniker would imply, Stop It! is near the top (right next to Daughters). You’d think Stop It! would have been a cheesy pop-punk band, but instead they played a very serious brand of emotionally charged hardcore music, making them very appropriate for the Robotic Empire roster. They weren’t around very long, but their music was typical of the Virginia and DC emo brand (which of course means the good kind of emo), and fans of that scene haven’t forgotten this album.
How is it?
Pretty sloppy. There are a few moments where it’s tough to get past the insane drums, and unfortunately one of those moments is about 4 seconds into the first track, “Maybe She’s Born With It” (talk about misrepresentative titles! “Remove Your Teeth”, later in the EP, makes a lot more sense.) But there are more good moments than bad ones to be found. “Amen & Boys” has such a creepy guitar part it sounds like Majority Rule wrote it, and it’s not hard to get lost in tracks like “Name + Number” and “Here’s To New Shortcuts.” At times the music seems very thrown together, like the songs hadn’t been rehearsed enough before they were committed to tape. The vocalist is never as engaging as you’d want him to be – he sounds like he’s improvising a lot of the times – and the guitar leads, although awesome, sound tacked on in songs like “Captin Roboto.” This isn’t the best album in the Robotic Empire discography, but it won’t disappoint a fan of this particular style of music – you know who you are. It’s a shame that Stop It! didn’t stick around to realize their full potential.
Recommended If You Like:
Malady, Majority Rule, Haram
Check ‘em Out:
www.myspace.com/stopitunofficial (http://www.myspace.com/stopitunofficial)