Kbm600
09/22/08, 01:39 PM
Belle Epoque - Our Bodies
Record Label: None
Release Date: June, 24, 2008
Elegant name, not so elegant band. Belle Epoque are out of Fort Worth, Texas and resemble something close to a Saosin-Chiodos lovechild. So take a moment, run around in fear, destroy your keyboards, and then relax and continue reading.
It's not as bad as it might sound, combining the clean vocals of Saosin with the technique of Chiodos' smooth blend of screaming and singing turns out to be a workable chaotic experience.
Belle Epoque are making their first appearance in the scene with their debut Our Bodies EP. Admittedly, it covers a lot of ground already covered by other bands, but the boys from Texas do it well. Songs like the opening track "Paradise Lost" fool you into thinking that this is just another dual-vocal band looking for cheap hits, until the gut-kicking screams take over. Erratic riffs plunge into your ears, giving you no chance to recover before "Living Life Never Made you Alive" bowls you over with even more intensity.
"Bloodless" features more of vocalist Kyle Istook's ability to interchange soaring vocals with vicious breakdowns. The resultant mixture creates a beautiful contrast. "Our Bodies" starts out much more intricately than the other tracks and shows off some smooth bass lines from Casey Brajevich and excellent drum talents from David Conley. The track ends in an ambient nature and sets up the album's key track.
"The Great Fire" opens with Istook's gentle voice leading to an explosion of instruments with Istook singing some of his best lyrics on the album, "We Are A Thousand Lovers / Engulfed In A Thousand Arms / And We're Too Blind To See / That We Are Killing Ourselves." An explosion of screams and guitars bring the song to a close. "To The Wayward Wife" pumps out my favorite riff of the EP as Brajevich and Istook close out the album with contrasting vocals yet again.
As a whole, Our Bodies could be forgettable to a lot of people who aren't a fan of this genre anymore. Admittedly, a lot of what we're hearing isn't ground breaking or in any sense innovative. Over-dramatic lyrics and repetitions of the same technique over and over bring down the experience of Our Bodies. But with unique vocals and unrelenting energy, Belle Epoque have the chance to stand out and shine above the rest.
Saosin; Oh, Sleeper; As Cities Burn
myspace.com/wearebelleepoque (http://www.myspace.com/wearebelleepoque)
Record Label: None
Release Date: June, 24, 2008
Elegant name, not so elegant band. Belle Epoque are out of Fort Worth, Texas and resemble something close to a Saosin-Chiodos lovechild. So take a moment, run around in fear, destroy your keyboards, and then relax and continue reading.
It's not as bad as it might sound, combining the clean vocals of Saosin with the technique of Chiodos' smooth blend of screaming and singing turns out to be a workable chaotic experience.
Belle Epoque are making their first appearance in the scene with their debut Our Bodies EP. Admittedly, it covers a lot of ground already covered by other bands, but the boys from Texas do it well. Songs like the opening track "Paradise Lost" fool you into thinking that this is just another dual-vocal band looking for cheap hits, until the gut-kicking screams take over. Erratic riffs plunge into your ears, giving you no chance to recover before "Living Life Never Made you Alive" bowls you over with even more intensity.
"Bloodless" features more of vocalist Kyle Istook's ability to interchange soaring vocals with vicious breakdowns. The resultant mixture creates a beautiful contrast. "Our Bodies" starts out much more intricately than the other tracks and shows off some smooth bass lines from Casey Brajevich and excellent drum talents from David Conley. The track ends in an ambient nature and sets up the album's key track.
"The Great Fire" opens with Istook's gentle voice leading to an explosion of instruments with Istook singing some of his best lyrics on the album, "We Are A Thousand Lovers / Engulfed In A Thousand Arms / And We're Too Blind To See / That We Are Killing Ourselves." An explosion of screams and guitars bring the song to a close. "To The Wayward Wife" pumps out my favorite riff of the EP as Brajevich and Istook close out the album with contrasting vocals yet again.
As a whole, Our Bodies could be forgettable to a lot of people who aren't a fan of this genre anymore. Admittedly, a lot of what we're hearing isn't ground breaking or in any sense innovative. Over-dramatic lyrics and repetitions of the same technique over and over bring down the experience of Our Bodies. But with unique vocals and unrelenting energy, Belle Epoque have the chance to stand out and shine above the rest.
Saosin; Oh, Sleeper; As Cities Burn
myspace.com/wearebelleepoque (http://www.myspace.com/wearebelleepoque)