Darren McLeod
04/18/06, 03:22 PM
Crime In Stereo - The Troubled Stateside
Record Label: Nitro Records
Release Date: Apr. 18, 2006
In my review of the teaser EP (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=114135) for this album, I stated my worries for The Troubled Stateside. Crime In Stereo had decided to take a more melodic approach for the new record, yet that decision seemed to result in a less cohesive band than was visible on past releases.
However, singer Kristian Hallbert's brutal scream of "YEAH!" within the first second of "Everything Changes/Nothing Is Ever Truly Lost" made me a believer: these guys most certainly did not lose their touch. They still bring the melodic hardcore punk sound they exhibited on Explosives and the Will To Use, yet with a stronger sense of melody infused. They might have lost some of the speed, but the aggression is still intact.
This added melody creates many enjoyable moments within the album. The band's largest departure from their usual sound results in the great "Gravity/Grace," a slower track with some of the strongest melodies to be found on the album. The band addresses medical care as Kristian softly sings "So what if it hurts? So what if stasis with a gracious smile is all you deserve? What if the basis for care is what you can afford? You'll get a permanent place in a public ward."
The final song, "I, Stateside," is an impressive track that goes past 5 minutes of length, qualifying it as an epic by hardcore standards. The band's creativeness manages to keep the song interesting throughout -- it flows through several different styles while retaining a consistent theme and structure, and acts as an extremely effective closer, with Kristian pleading "God, please save these troubled states!"
Lyrically, the album covers a lot of ground while remaining unified. There are discussions of, as the title suggests, the state of their nation, but also the life of a touring band and the industry that surrounds them. The lyrics are consistently clever and perceptive, perhaps never more than on "I, Stateside," when Kristian sings "we’ll fix the fat and ugly with incisions. We’ll stash the Gay and liberal up in New England. We’ll keep the Black and poor in (or under constant threat of) prison. And they’ll all feel blessed just for being part of the vision."
The band is taking steps to distance itself from the rest of the melodic hardcore punk scene, and succeeds in doing so. They remain true to their roots, while broadening their sound and keeping the disc interesting by throwing in moments that come unexpected (see "Dark Island City," a predominantly instrumental track in which the only vocals are barely-audible mutterings near the middle). Anyone with the slightest interest in melodic hardcore would do well to pick this CD up.
No Trigger, Strike Anywhere, Kid Dynamite
Record Label: Nitro Records
Release Date: Apr. 18, 2006
In my review of the teaser EP (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=114135) for this album, I stated my worries for The Troubled Stateside. Crime In Stereo had decided to take a more melodic approach for the new record, yet that decision seemed to result in a less cohesive band than was visible on past releases.
However, singer Kristian Hallbert's brutal scream of "YEAH!" within the first second of "Everything Changes/Nothing Is Ever Truly Lost" made me a believer: these guys most certainly did not lose their touch. They still bring the melodic hardcore punk sound they exhibited on Explosives and the Will To Use, yet with a stronger sense of melody infused. They might have lost some of the speed, but the aggression is still intact.
This added melody creates many enjoyable moments within the album. The band's largest departure from their usual sound results in the great "Gravity/Grace," a slower track with some of the strongest melodies to be found on the album. The band addresses medical care as Kristian softly sings "So what if it hurts? So what if stasis with a gracious smile is all you deserve? What if the basis for care is what you can afford? You'll get a permanent place in a public ward."
The final song, "I, Stateside," is an impressive track that goes past 5 minutes of length, qualifying it as an epic by hardcore standards. The band's creativeness manages to keep the song interesting throughout -- it flows through several different styles while retaining a consistent theme and structure, and acts as an extremely effective closer, with Kristian pleading "God, please save these troubled states!"
Lyrically, the album covers a lot of ground while remaining unified. There are discussions of, as the title suggests, the state of their nation, but also the life of a touring band and the industry that surrounds them. The lyrics are consistently clever and perceptive, perhaps never more than on "I, Stateside," when Kristian sings "we’ll fix the fat and ugly with incisions. We’ll stash the Gay and liberal up in New England. We’ll keep the Black and poor in (or under constant threat of) prison. And they’ll all feel blessed just for being part of the vision."
The band is taking steps to distance itself from the rest of the melodic hardcore punk scene, and succeeds in doing so. They remain true to their roots, while broadening their sound and keeping the disc interesting by throwing in moments that come unexpected (see "Dark Island City," a predominantly instrumental track in which the only vocals are barely-audible mutterings near the middle). Anyone with the slightest interest in melodic hardcore would do well to pick this CD up.
No Trigger, Strike Anywhere, Kid Dynamite