Tony Pascarella
03/23/06, 07:51 PM
Ryan’s Hope – Apocalypse in Increments
Release Date: April 11, 2006
Record Label: PunkNews Records
First, there’s a brief disclaimer to go along with this review. I understand the implied irony of Absolutepunk reviewing a CD released on a label started by PunkNews.org I have no beef with the guys at PN, nor do I believe they have one with me. It really is all about the music. Ryan’s Hope have released a fantastic CD, and I think everyone here, there, and around the globe owes it to themselves to give Apocalypse in Increments a serious listen.
With a sound unearthed somewhere deep underground in Illinois, Ryan’s Hope have scored a winner with Apocalypse in Increments, their second album—and first since signing with PunkNews Records. Vocalist Terry Morrow is a perfect fit for this aggressive melodic punk trio, with a singing style similar to that of The Living End’s Chris Cheney, a band that Ryan’s Hope cite as an influence. The complex musical peaks and valleys of “The Carpathian” are a perfect introduction to Ryan’s Hope. It’s hard to believe this is just a trio of talented musicians when you hear their technically savvy songs. I love the low-key urgency of “My Decision,” which leads into the shred-filled “When Life Steals Life.” While Apocalypse in Increments doesn’t come off like a concept album, there definitely seems to be a basic storyline that the entire CD flows around. The pop-punk vibe of the album’s opener, “End Is Here,” shows that the band doesn’t stick to one genre. Atop a throbbing rhythm combination, Terry Morrow half wails, half rasps their anthem.
A coursing bassline accents Ryan’s Hope darker side on “By the Sword,” a crunching, aggressive song whose only flaw is it tends to blend a bit into the songs surrounding it. It might just be the most “hardcore” song on the album in terms of the instrumentation, but of course the vocals never get angrier than the rasping shouts of gang vocals. “This Time,” which follows, returns to the poppier Ryan’s Hope. The abstractness to the lyrics on some songs sometimes seems impersonal, every time there is a minor hiccup like that, they come back with a biting, emotional song, such as the album’s closer “The Ranks.”
What I really enjoy about Apocalypse in Increments is that it is well-written but still rough enough around the edges to avoid the glossy, slick finish that makes so many bands sound like carbon copies of one another. They weave chugging bass lines into dark metal guitar riffs in songs like “The Ranks,” one of my favorites. The shouted gang vocals to finish up the album are the perfect conclusion, leaving listeners satisfied but still excited about what the future of this band will hold.
Buy Apocalypse in Increments on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D142420918%2526id%253D142420914%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )
01. End Is Here
02. My Motivation, Your Demise
03. The Carpathian
04. Reiteration
05. Haven't Got the Time
06. Exorcism
07. My Decision
08. When Life Steals Life
09. Killing Through Song
10. Majority
11. By the Sword
12. This Time
13. The Ranks
Author's Note: This review was originally published for The-Trades.com here (http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=4138) because another reviewer was planning on reviewing Apocalypse in Increments for Absolutepunk. It is reposted here in its entireity in order to get the word out about the band.
Release Date: April 11, 2006
Record Label: PunkNews Records
First, there’s a brief disclaimer to go along with this review. I understand the implied irony of Absolutepunk reviewing a CD released on a label started by PunkNews.org I have no beef with the guys at PN, nor do I believe they have one with me. It really is all about the music. Ryan’s Hope have released a fantastic CD, and I think everyone here, there, and around the globe owes it to themselves to give Apocalypse in Increments a serious listen.
With a sound unearthed somewhere deep underground in Illinois, Ryan’s Hope have scored a winner with Apocalypse in Increments, their second album—and first since signing with PunkNews Records. Vocalist Terry Morrow is a perfect fit for this aggressive melodic punk trio, with a singing style similar to that of The Living End’s Chris Cheney, a band that Ryan’s Hope cite as an influence. The complex musical peaks and valleys of “The Carpathian” are a perfect introduction to Ryan’s Hope. It’s hard to believe this is just a trio of talented musicians when you hear their technically savvy songs. I love the low-key urgency of “My Decision,” which leads into the shred-filled “When Life Steals Life.” While Apocalypse in Increments doesn’t come off like a concept album, there definitely seems to be a basic storyline that the entire CD flows around. The pop-punk vibe of the album’s opener, “End Is Here,” shows that the band doesn’t stick to one genre. Atop a throbbing rhythm combination, Terry Morrow half wails, half rasps their anthem.
A coursing bassline accents Ryan’s Hope darker side on “By the Sword,” a crunching, aggressive song whose only flaw is it tends to blend a bit into the songs surrounding it. It might just be the most “hardcore” song on the album in terms of the instrumentation, but of course the vocals never get angrier than the rasping shouts of gang vocals. “This Time,” which follows, returns to the poppier Ryan’s Hope. The abstractness to the lyrics on some songs sometimes seems impersonal, every time there is a minor hiccup like that, they come back with a biting, emotional song, such as the album’s closer “The Ranks.”
What I really enjoy about Apocalypse in Increments is that it is well-written but still rough enough around the edges to avoid the glossy, slick finish that makes so many bands sound like carbon copies of one another. They weave chugging bass lines into dark metal guitar riffs in songs like “The Ranks,” one of my favorites. The shouted gang vocals to finish up the album are the perfect conclusion, leaving listeners satisfied but still excited about what the future of this band will hold.
Buy Apocalypse in Increments on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D142420918%2526id%253D142420914%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )
01. End Is Here
02. My Motivation, Your Demise
03. The Carpathian
04. Reiteration
05. Haven't Got the Time
06. Exorcism
07. My Decision
08. When Life Steals Life
09. Killing Through Song
10. Majority
11. By the Sword
12. This Time
13. The Ranks
Author's Note: This review was originally published for The-Trades.com here (http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=4138) because another reviewer was planning on reviewing Apocalypse in Increments for Absolutepunk. It is reposted here in its entireity in order to get the word out about the band.