DylanPPPP
06/26/10, 10:47 PM
Before you read my little review of this band know that I am being a little harsh. I really like the band because they are a great live show and they are really fun, below is just commenting on the album so just take that into consideration. Once you see the live show you come to like the album more. So if you live anywhere near the tri-city area in Michigan check em out!
Act As One - No Looking Back
Release Date: January 5th, 2010
Record Label: Capeside Records
6.3/10
Pop-punk. Fast-paced drumming, catchy choruses, (some-what) rebellious lyrics. Though the genre has been quite a success with such acts as New Found Glory and Blink-182, I vouch for everyone when I say that even with the heightened success of the genre in the past, as of late people have seemed to believe that it has been a bit of a dying breed. But of course, with the famous "comeback" of Blink-182 in 2009 all of a sudden everyone is saying "Pop-punk is alive again! Resurrected!" This, in my opinion, is complete blasphemy. With such groups as Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong exploding (silently) into the scene, I believe that pop-punk has been on a comeback since the 2006 release Mutiny! by said band Set Your Goals. As most of us already know, as genres start to get more and more popular, whether it be a comeback or a brand new fad, there is going to be a fair amount of bands that get lost in the waves and waves of groups trying to accomplish the ever-growing genre. This is where the five-piece pop-punk outfit from Saginaw, Michigan known as Act As One fits in.
With Act As One's first release on Capeside Records (a rather unknown, small local label) simply titled No Looking Back they show that they do not bring anything extremely creative or new to the pop-punk genre. In fact, I feel very comfortable in stating that even with the so-called comeback of their respected genre, these guys are pretty much the epitome of generic (but bare-able) pop-punk.
With that said, even if they are 'generic pop-punk' they actually do a pretty great job of adding a touch of melodic hardcore throughout the whole album. This is mostly in part to the amazingly tight, clean, and ridiculously fast rhythm section and the polished guitar work. As for the vocals? Well I'll be the first to tell you that there is nothing special there. I got to hand it to singer Taylor Nagel for making a tremendous effort.....but he just does not have the god given talent a great singer needs, but hey! In a pop-punk band like this one you really don't need amazing vocals to make it sound great. So even if he isn't an amazing singer, it fits well with the genre, but can get boring as nearly every song on the album sounds the same.
The one song on the album that shows off this groups talent (including a very solid performance in the vocal category) is the hard-hitting "You've Got Red On You". Featuring a guest appearance by vocalist Chad Ruhlig of the Rise Records metal band Legend, this track adds a heavier (yet still pop-punk-esque) feel to the album and gets my vote for best song on this prosaic album.
Though there is nothing hugely creative or new on this album, the band does show some big strides musically. Whether it be such feats as a few Slash-worthy shredding guitar solos here and there or the incredibly fast rolls of drummer Ben Hoffman, Act As One shows that they DO in fact have some major talent, they just have yet to unleash their full potential upon the "resurrected" pop-punk scene.
At the end of the day if you are a fan of any kind of pop-punk, chances are you may be a fan of No Looking Back though, if taken lightly, you may just find yourself looking back and sending this record to the shelves deeming it as just another pop-punk record.
Recommended If You Like: Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong, Old Blink-182, Pop-Punk in general
Additional Information:
Track Listing:
1. Full Count
2. Above and Beyond
3. She's A Gravedigger
4. Switch Hitter
5. True Friends and Dead Ends
6. You've Got Red On You (Featuring Chad Ruhlig of Legend)
7. A Starboard Story
8. No Looking Back
9. Out Of Options
10. Wait Until I'm Gone
11.Remember Tomorrow
Act As One is:
Taylor Nagel – vocals
Shawn Brown – guitar/vocals
Jared McNally – guitar
Matt Feith – bass
Ben Hoffman – drums
(http://www.piercetheveil.net/)
http://www.myspace.com/actasone
Act As One - No Looking Back
Release Date: January 5th, 2010
Record Label: Capeside Records
6.3/10
Pop-punk. Fast-paced drumming, catchy choruses, (some-what) rebellious lyrics. Though the genre has been quite a success with such acts as New Found Glory and Blink-182, I vouch for everyone when I say that even with the heightened success of the genre in the past, as of late people have seemed to believe that it has been a bit of a dying breed. But of course, with the famous "comeback" of Blink-182 in 2009 all of a sudden everyone is saying "Pop-punk is alive again! Resurrected!" This, in my opinion, is complete blasphemy. With such groups as Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong exploding (silently) into the scene, I believe that pop-punk has been on a comeback since the 2006 release Mutiny! by said band Set Your Goals. As most of us already know, as genres start to get more and more popular, whether it be a comeback or a brand new fad, there is going to be a fair amount of bands that get lost in the waves and waves of groups trying to accomplish the ever-growing genre. This is where the five-piece pop-punk outfit from Saginaw, Michigan known as Act As One fits in.
With Act As One's first release on Capeside Records (a rather unknown, small local label) simply titled No Looking Back they show that they do not bring anything extremely creative or new to the pop-punk genre. In fact, I feel very comfortable in stating that even with the so-called comeback of their respected genre, these guys are pretty much the epitome of generic (but bare-able) pop-punk.
With that said, even if they are 'generic pop-punk' they actually do a pretty great job of adding a touch of melodic hardcore throughout the whole album. This is mostly in part to the amazingly tight, clean, and ridiculously fast rhythm section and the polished guitar work. As for the vocals? Well I'll be the first to tell you that there is nothing special there. I got to hand it to singer Taylor Nagel for making a tremendous effort.....but he just does not have the god given talent a great singer needs, but hey! In a pop-punk band like this one you really don't need amazing vocals to make it sound great. So even if he isn't an amazing singer, it fits well with the genre, but can get boring as nearly every song on the album sounds the same.
The one song on the album that shows off this groups talent (including a very solid performance in the vocal category) is the hard-hitting "You've Got Red On You". Featuring a guest appearance by vocalist Chad Ruhlig of the Rise Records metal band Legend, this track adds a heavier (yet still pop-punk-esque) feel to the album and gets my vote for best song on this prosaic album.
Though there is nothing hugely creative or new on this album, the band does show some big strides musically. Whether it be such feats as a few Slash-worthy shredding guitar solos here and there or the incredibly fast rolls of drummer Ben Hoffman, Act As One shows that they DO in fact have some major talent, they just have yet to unleash their full potential upon the "resurrected" pop-punk scene.
At the end of the day if you are a fan of any kind of pop-punk, chances are you may be a fan of No Looking Back though, if taken lightly, you may just find yourself looking back and sending this record to the shelves deeming it as just another pop-punk record.
Recommended If You Like: Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong, Old Blink-182, Pop-Punk in general
Additional Information:
Track Listing:
1. Full Count
2. Above and Beyond
3. She's A Gravedigger
4. Switch Hitter
5. True Friends and Dead Ends
6. You've Got Red On You (Featuring Chad Ruhlig of Legend)
7. A Starboard Story
8. No Looking Back
9. Out Of Options
10. Wait Until I'm Gone
11.Remember Tomorrow
Act As One is:
Taylor Nagel – vocals
Shawn Brown – guitar/vocals
Jared McNally – guitar
Matt Feith – bass
Ben Hoffman – drums
(http://www.piercetheveil.net/)
http://www.myspace.com/actasone