Susan Frances
11/29/07, 06:12 PM
The Rivalry - Emergency Broadcast
Record Label: The Rivalry
Release Date: February 7, 2007
For those who have caught The Rivalry opening for Alien Ant Farm and 311 over the years, it is no surprise to you that this Long Island crew have a deep binding to their post hardcore’s brethren that is as thick as blood. After having released their debut EP Break the Silence in 2005 and a second self-titled EP, the pack of four have released their first full-length album entitled Emergency Broadcast. The album showcases the band’s massive guitar flourishes and injections of octane fueled rhythms, which have direct correlations to post hardcore animals like The Receiving End of Sirens, Thrice, Thursday, and Senses Fail. The album is such a homage to the expansive strides that post hardcore has made in music that it sometimes feels like there is no demarcation between The Rivalry and their influences. But the songs are so skillfully laid out that it does not matter. So, The Rivalry make post hardcore the way it has been made before. There are certain things that you don’t mess with when they are done right the first time, as The Rivalry show.
Tracks like “Paralyze” and “Lay Down” trestle colossal power chord build ups evened out by short recessions which make movements that are reminiscent of Armor for Sleep and Last Ditch Remedy. The Rivalry’s guitarist Keith Allen produces massive vibrations whose agility is synchronized with the rhythmic mashing of bassist Michael Sadis and drummer Billy Rymer. Lead singer Ryan Siegel displays a sharp instinct for predicting the right moments when to curl and extend his notes making refractions along the melody that recall of The Dear Hunter’s Casey Crescenzo. The soft melodic riffage of “MTR” has spikes and smooth rolls that liken to Mae, and the guzzles of rapid guitar punches and crunching activity in the rhythm section on tracks like “Girl,” “Warning,” and “Sound the Alarms” are parallel to Logan Square and Fair to Midland.
The Rivalry not only produce broiling cauldrons of guitar flourishes, but they also have some individualized guitar hooks that single them out, like the flexing chords on “Unforgivable,” the vaunting slings of “Pride,” and the soulful burns that indent “Fuller,” which also has segments of heavy vocal breathing that reminded me of what Incubus’ singer Brandon Boyd did on their song “Dig.” The Rivalry’s songs all hit right into the post hardcore ballpark and even create a jutting reggae-ska vibe reaming through the turns on “Suitors.”
Produced by Mike Cosgrove of Alien Ant Farm and mixed by Chad Sexton of 311, The Rivalry’s first full-length album Emergency Broadcast keeps it all in the family of post hardcore. It’s a strong effort for this Long Island four-pack who play hardcore music like there is nothing better in this world to make.
AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/therivalry) | MySpace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofi le&friendID=21094085) | Buy (http://www.merchdirect.net/TheRivalry/CDs/Emergency_Broadcast_CD?productid=75 50)
Record Label: The Rivalry
Release Date: February 7, 2007
For those who have caught The Rivalry opening for Alien Ant Farm and 311 over the years, it is no surprise to you that this Long Island crew have a deep binding to their post hardcore’s brethren that is as thick as blood. After having released their debut EP Break the Silence in 2005 and a second self-titled EP, the pack of four have released their first full-length album entitled Emergency Broadcast. The album showcases the band’s massive guitar flourishes and injections of octane fueled rhythms, which have direct correlations to post hardcore animals like The Receiving End of Sirens, Thrice, Thursday, and Senses Fail. The album is such a homage to the expansive strides that post hardcore has made in music that it sometimes feels like there is no demarcation between The Rivalry and their influences. But the songs are so skillfully laid out that it does not matter. So, The Rivalry make post hardcore the way it has been made before. There are certain things that you don’t mess with when they are done right the first time, as The Rivalry show.
Tracks like “Paralyze” and “Lay Down” trestle colossal power chord build ups evened out by short recessions which make movements that are reminiscent of Armor for Sleep and Last Ditch Remedy. The Rivalry’s guitarist Keith Allen produces massive vibrations whose agility is synchronized with the rhythmic mashing of bassist Michael Sadis and drummer Billy Rymer. Lead singer Ryan Siegel displays a sharp instinct for predicting the right moments when to curl and extend his notes making refractions along the melody that recall of The Dear Hunter’s Casey Crescenzo. The soft melodic riffage of “MTR” has spikes and smooth rolls that liken to Mae, and the guzzles of rapid guitar punches and crunching activity in the rhythm section on tracks like “Girl,” “Warning,” and “Sound the Alarms” are parallel to Logan Square and Fair to Midland.
The Rivalry not only produce broiling cauldrons of guitar flourishes, but they also have some individualized guitar hooks that single them out, like the flexing chords on “Unforgivable,” the vaunting slings of “Pride,” and the soulful burns that indent “Fuller,” which also has segments of heavy vocal breathing that reminded me of what Incubus’ singer Brandon Boyd did on their song “Dig.” The Rivalry’s songs all hit right into the post hardcore ballpark and even create a jutting reggae-ska vibe reaming through the turns on “Suitors.”
Produced by Mike Cosgrove of Alien Ant Farm and mixed by Chad Sexton of 311, The Rivalry’s first full-length album Emergency Broadcast keeps it all in the family of post hardcore. It’s a strong effort for this Long Island four-pack who play hardcore music like there is nothing better in this world to make.
AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/therivalry) | MySpace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofi le&friendID=21094085) | Buy (http://www.merchdirect.net/TheRivalry/CDs/Emergency_Broadcast_CD?productid=75 50)