Pitch Black-This is the Modern Sound
They just wont go away will they? Bands who insist on clouding, suffocating even, their perfect modern-punk-pap-pip-pop...(yeah whatever you kids are calling it nowadays), with silly, just plain silly, hoarse screaming and showy offy thunder-riffs. Underneath it all this is a good album, made by a good band, you just wouldn't know it unless you took the time and listened intently enough to strip it down.
Ironically titled 'This is the Modern Sound'; the 70's psychedelic keyboards underlying this whole piece are one of the few things keeping this whole shebang from going sour. They are superb, and they give this album an edge, especially on opener 'Tonopah', something that sets them apart from all the other wannabes. And the sweet guitar breaks found scattered longingly all over the 37 minutes of aching anticipation this album brings about, really are worth holding on for. Exhibited again on opener 'Tonopah', and exquisitely on 'Tooth cutter', they really are special, and entwine so wonderfully with the guitar plucks; Jeremy and Kevin are a stellar team. It's only when the wrenching vocals kick in that the mini-break of quality is interrupted. Hey the screaming aint bad, and the vocalist, yeah, he's good! But why?? It's just not necessary when you have music with as much depth as this, it negates everything.
Instrumentally this piece is great, a change in vocal style would make it so much greater.