Another day, another post-hardcore band. Now while I’m always partial to the odd screamed melody or two, certain members of Punktastic wouldn’t piss on this if it were on fire. And justifiably so really, I mean the genre has become as original as an emo band singing about being dumped by a girl. Having said that Victory Records’ Silverstein stand out from the pack, albeit marginally, because they do have a couple of great songs among the dreary run-of-the-mill screaming stuff that packs ‘When Broken Is Easily Fixed’.
The likes of ‘Smashed Into Pieces’ and ‘Giving Up’ are as good as any songs in the genre but the rest is pretty average fare to be honest. If you already own records by the likes of The Used, A Static Lullaby and Taking back Sunday then you’ve pretty much heard Silverstein. Having said that, if you’re a fan of all three bands, then you’ll almost certainly enjoy this record, even if it won’t change your life.
The aforementioned opener is a real rip-roaring start, a fire-breathing behemoth that spits, screams and shouts its way through just shy of four minutes. Destined to be a minor underground hit I’m sure, it showcases Shane Told’s melodic vocals inbetween a barrage of death-defying scowls that really punish the ears. The chorus is a sure-fire winner too with a lyrically graphic description of the vocalist’s torment. “Smash apart what you created,” Told yells and it’s all rather good. The following ‘Red Light Pledge’ isn’t quite as vitriolic but is still a decent attack, but it’s the awesome ‘Giving Up’ which stands out a mile for me. Another song about being dumped, but still it’s a fantastic effort that matches A Static Lullaby and all of their peers. The “how can I say I love you back, you never made me happy” refrain is especially fraught.
From here on in nothing really grabs you by the throat, it’s all pretty predictable fare. The lyrics are particularly graphic throughout, but that has become typical of the genre. ‘Bleeds No More’ stands out with the line “I’ve broken both my legs falling for you,” very clever and witty, yet ultimately a bit obvious. ‘Last Days Of Summer’ does the whole dynamics thing really well, the screaming fits in well with the guitars when they go into crunchy mode, while ‘Hear Me Out’ forgoes the typical screaming intro for one that is simply sung, freshening things up. Not overusing the screaming certainly makes this record stand out from a lot of the poorer bands doing this kind of thing. A special mention also for ‘Wish I Could Forget You’ which comes complete with violin. Told’s vocals are again at breaking point, even when the guitars soar and the melodies reach their highest point.
Silverstein have come up with a good album that I’m sure fans of the genre as a whole will enjoy. It’s nothing particularly fresh but is still better than a lot of the fare being peddled out there at the moment. A special thumbs up too for the artwork which is well designed and nicely drawn – an extra touch which often is left out of releases.
Paul
www.silversteinmusic.com
Paul