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(of 5)Following on the success of Full Collapse, this New Jersy band returns at peak form with 11 powerful, gut churning tracks. On this turn out, they have added a synth to the mix (just slightly... usually barely audible) to fill out the mix. It is really noticable on Signals Over the Air which is the current single on the radio.
The album opens with a bang and doesn't let up until about midway when we get a quick breather before heading into the final songs. The disc opens with For the Workforce, Drowning which takes a critical look at living a life of repetition in an office environment.
Tomorrow we'll get up and drive to work In single file, with everyday just like the last Waiting for life to start, it's always just ahead of the curve Just making copies of copies of copies... when will it end?
The title track is easily my favorite track on the album. Taking imagery from his childhood and mixing it with events that we all share makes this song seem easier to identify with. In particular, images of 9-11 and the chaos of the world today help emphasize the singer's plea for "love all of the time."
War all of the time In the shadow of the New York skyline We grew up too fast now we're falling like the ashes of American flags If the sun doesn't rise, we'll replace it with an H-bomb explosion A painted jail cell of light in the sky like thre-mile-island nightmares On TVs that sing us to sleep
The album stays basically in the same tone throughout, changing speeds frequently in the songs to keep things from getting monotonous. The playing is excellent as is the mixing, allowing both guitars to be heard clearly making for a think, crunchy sound that is layered with crystal clear production.
Post-emo poetic lyrics free versed over complex post-hardcore guitars with progressive drumming. Sigh, that's a mouthful!
Get it. It's wicked.