Ahimsa Sunrise - The Viceroy and the Monarch
Rating
RIYL
Circa SurviveGlassjaw
Poison the Well
Coheed and Cambria
Tracklist
1 In Loving Memory2 Kiss For Kill
3 Athenas Song
4 Ms. Charismatic
5 100 Years War
6 The Wealthy Empresario
7 Leave Me At The Atlantic For The Greatest Mistake I'll Never Make
8 Duets And Messages
9 As The Papers Burn
10 Lockjaw
11 Most Evil Lover
12 Atropa Belladona(victim Of Beauty)
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One part hardcore, one part melodic art-rock, Ahimsa Sunrise injects the latter genre with an adrenaline rush that may invigorate the 90 Hour Sleep Scene to life. I suppose it was an inevitability that someone would come along, take the lofty, atmospheric California sound and subject it to a brutal punishment. Surprisingly, it is an East Coast band that accomplishes this, as the West Coasters are still exploring the ins and outs of their craft. Pennsylvania natives Ahimsa Sunrise show that life closer to the Atlantic is not full of smiles and sunshine. With New York and New Jersey right next door, it’s hard to ignore the hardcore influence. So, instead, they embrace it.
The Viceory and the Monarch is an extremely fulfilling album, but somewhat of a tough listen. It requires a listener well immersed in the modern rock scene who also has the dual tolerance of the harder rock and the melodic rock. I don’t know too many people who can leave all their biases at the door and sit down and judge an album without any preconceived notion of what they like and dislike, but if one were to do so, they would surely find Ahimsa Sunrise appealing. Sporting a never-ending flurry of guitar licks, be it soft and soothing or jagged and devastating, backed with a dual vocal presence, Ahimsa Sunrise has much working in their favor.
The album starts off with the instrumental track “In Loving Memory”, that fully exposes the artistic side of the band from the start. Ahimsa Sunrise isn’t ashamed of this side of the band, and it constantly calls back to this influence while continually applying a rougher sound to it. Be it the in your face punch of "Athena’s Song" or the more melodic styling of "Most Evil Lover", the band constantly changes faces in order to defy convention. Even escaping the hardcore label at times with the screamo based "100 Years War" or the metalcore influenced "Lockjaw", the band lifts the physical forms of its art out of the music and instead focuses on the essence of their craft. This is not an approach generally taken by such heavy hitting bands, and perhaps that it why it comes off as such a unique experience.
Musically there may be a connection with Circa Survive, but in all fairness, the two bands don’t come close to playing on the same level. Circa Survive doesn’t have the balls to challenge their scene to the extent that The Viceroy and the Monarch does. This is certainly one of the more surprising releases of 2005, and for those with a tough stomach and an open mind, Ahimsa Sunrise may be the best band you’ve never heard.
--Jordan Volz
Comments
Sacramento, CA
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
NY/PA
not a bad comparison