Rick's Mailbox Volume XI: Almost as Good as a Vikings/Jets Super Bowl

Posted 01/18/2010 11:36AM by Rick Gebhardt as Rick's Discoveries

01/18/2010 11:36AM

Being an editor here at Decoy, I get a fair amount of mail from bands, labels, PR companies, and other random sources. Most of the mail comes in the form of packages containing CDs for bands that want reviews, coverage, or just a mention somewhere in some publication to get their name out. It would be impossible for us to review every album submitted to us, and I think many bands know that, but I sometimes feel guilty letting things slip through the cracks, especially since people no doubt went out of their way to send something my way for consideration by Decoy. In the spirit of trying to get the word out there for artists who might otherwise not get much coverage elsewhere, let’s dig into my mailbox and see what interesting submissions have come through lately.

Falling to Pieces – Awaken the Weak

The first thing I thought of as I popped in this EP is, “Huh, this sounds like Walls of Jericho.” Obviously, this thought popped up since Falling to Pieces are a female fronted band where the vocals are harsh instead of melodic. There are the occasional clean vocals, but the majority of the time it’s a female growl approach. I did find this EP much more interesting than anything Walls of Jericho have ever put out, so if that’s an indication of how much you’ll enjoy this, take it as you will. I could easily see these guys getting picked up by Rise or Eulogy as they would fit in nicely on either roster. (artist website)

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The Fainting Generals – Everybody Drinks Kombucha in Hell

Unfortunately, the thing that is most notable about this release is the recording quality. Even though this is a studio album, it sounds very much like a recording of a live performance—the overall sound is a little muddy and things just don’t pop or come out as differentiated as you’d like. As for the album itself, it is billed as a rock opera about prohibition and the 14th president, Franklin Pierce. Interesting concept, but there is a lot to be desired in the execution. Playing lo-fi, violin & guitar centric vintage indie rock, The Fainting Generals aren’t doing anything that would warrant more than a passing listen. (artist website)

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Face Value – Rode Hard, Put Away Wet

This CD/DVD combo captures the entire discography of Face Value into one package. Before this release, I’d never heard of the band and it’s always interesting to see releases where a band’s entire discography (in this case, 1 album, 2 EPs, and a demo) can fit on one CD. As it is, Face Value sound a lot like classic hardcore punk act such as Warzone, Agnostic Front, or Black Flag. There’s not a lot else to say about this release—either you’re going to dig it because this is your style of music, or you’re not. (artist website)

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Redefine – The Power of Persuasion

Playing hard rock in a vein similar to Chevelle, Cold, or Oddzar, Redefine goes about their business with a bit of a darker slant than the aforementioned bands. The guitars are definitely the most noticeable part of the band. They’re big, meaty, and shine during the solos. Best of all, the band succeeds in keeping your attention. After the 6 songs on this EP were finished, I was craving more. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from these guys in the future as they show a ton of promise in a genre that is usually void of talent. (artist website)

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Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight – Movin’ On

From the band name alone, you should be able to guess what type of band Trippy Wicked are going to be. Imagine a stoner version of The Sword and you kind of get the picture. The music is filled with plenty of classic stoner rock influenced riffs and there are some monster grooves, but the vocalist… oh boy… he’s just terrible. He does this sort of pseudo-singing that is simply atrocious. It’s really cringe inducing and makes even the strongest of the band’s songs hard to listen to. Ditch the vocalist and Trippy Wicked get instantaneously better. (artist website)

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Remain Opposed – Time Waits For No One

Imagine what would happen if you transported pre-Smash era The Offspring into 2009, set them down in Australia, and asked them to write an album. It might not sound exactly like Time Waits For No One, but you’d definitely be able to hear some similarities. As I’ve mentioned in past Mailbox articles, it seems like Australia is having a punk and hardcore renaissance, and Remain Opposed are providing that mid-90’s hardcore punk sound for today’s audience. Let the nostalgia roll in. (artist website)

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The Villains – The Villains

Right at home between tracks by Tom Petty and The Wallflowers, The Villains seem to be relishing in making a mix of classic rock with bits of modern pop-rock around the edges. It’s very obvious that The Villains truly love their influences, and maybe a bit too much, because a few of the songs on this album give me a sense of déjà vu. I could swear that I’ve hear parts of these songs other places before, but I can’t quite put my finger on it… so maybe they’re just really good at sounding similar to classic rock bands. (artist website)

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Renae - …And Hell Follows

This EP presents 5 solid experimental hardcore tracks. Mixing the chaos of The Chariot with some Fear Before and then adding in a healthy dose of melodic vocals to go with the monstrous growls, Renae have given us a great introduction to themselves. It should also be said that beyond the hardcore/metalcore moments (which really stand out), there are some nice build-ups and progressions that give the songs weight. This is a really solid debut for the band. (artist website)