Arsonists Get All the Girls - The Game of Life

Rating

single star

RIYL

Horse The Band
Despised Icon
Animosity
Look What I Did

Label

Century Media

Tracklist

1. Business In the Front
2. Save the Castle Screw the Princess
3. Mantipede
4. Cuffed To Your Ankles
5. Shoeshine For Neptune
6. To Get Eaten By the Rats
7. Tourtasia
8. Claiming Middle Age a Decade Early
9. Taiwanese Troft Trouble
10. 13 Year Old Ruby
11. Robando De Los Muertos
12. So You Think You Know About the Game Of Life (Party In the Rear)

Users Rating

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Recent Ratings

I’ve always been a fan of the death-core genre and I love hearing what new bands have to offer as far as creativity, musicianship, and straight up heaviness. One thing that I’ve always had trouble accepting is the usage of keyboards in bands. To me the only band that can pull of playing metal and using keyboards is Between The Buried And Me. Well, Arsonists Get All The Girls is a new death-core band that uses keyboards in their songs, and as expected, they have failed to impress me with their goofy, over the top keys played on top of heavy music.

There are definitely parts on The Game Of Life that showcase some talent in this band. One area I was impressed with was the quick sweeps they pull off between the chugs in “Shoeshine For Neptune”. There are also some parts that begin very cool and seem to get something going but are then completely ruined by unnecessary keyboards that are mixed extremely too loud compared to the rest of the music. In almost every single track on this record the keyboards will literally destroy the song. If they were just left out of the music, the songs would be actual serious heavy songs. I don’t find these ridiculous grade school keyboard parts humorous at all.

I guess I can’t really blame Arsonists Get All The Girls. If they didn’t have these keyboard parts than they would be just another mediocre death-core band which sometimes is just okay for me to rock out to. But throwing all these keyboard parts into the songs is not creative to me. I find it almost unfair that a song can start out as cool as “13 Year Old Ruby” does with its jazzy vibe and then be demolished by the usage of inessential keyboard parts.

You’d think that with a keyboard you could get a lot of unique sounds from it, but each song sounds like it’s the same goofy keyboard setting and I think that setting is called “circus-core”. Honestly some of the parts on this CD I picture clowns hardcore dancing to it. Some of you may think I’m being a little harsh but I think there is no excuse for a band putting this much keyboard into songs and having none of the parts actually fit the music. Horse The Band has successfully used keyboards in that their keyboard parts seem to compliment the other instruments and keep the songs flowing. I think all Arsonists Get All The Girls were trying to do was get a laugh out of people. Well they get a real big one from me, and a one star rating for their album, The Game Of Life.

--Chris Pandolfo

Author

cloudscollide
Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:59PM

Comments

Mike Duchnowsky
07/27/2007
07:40AM
Age: 27
Location
West Haven, CT
Aww that's depressing they used to have so much potential.

The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.

Rick Gebhardt
07/27/2007
08:08AM
Age: 31
Location
Minnesota
This seemed like such a gimmick disc. I thought it was neat the first listen or two... then I realized I didn't really like it that much.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

CarryUsAway
07/27/2007
10:31AM
Age: 23
Location
Milpitas, CA
1 star? all because of keyboards? your score compared to your actual review doesn't really make sense.
MariusDaFunk
07/27/2007
10:43AM
Age: 26
Location
Berlin, Germany
I think in the end he stated that they are just a mediocre band, who 'highlights' their keyboard, and does so poorly. Hence, this can get more than 2 ... well a 1 is hard, but indeed this band is utter bullcrap.
Zach Roth
07/27/2007
10:58AM
Age: 24
Location
Fishers, Indiana
Hahah. This review is so centered on those fucking keyboards. I have to go listen to this now, because I love unnecessary keyboard deedling ala HORSE's Pizza EP, so bring this the fuck on!

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Zach Roth
07/27/2007
11:01AM
Age: 24
Location
Fishers, Indiana
"At the very least, The Game of Life offers its own take on what
happens when a gay train derails on its way to straight town." -CD Promo

This is so very promising.

Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter

Bells and Whistles
07/30/2007
01:00AM
Location
Edmonton, AB
shit i'll listen to anything that might sound like Look What I Did.... they fucking own!
Rick Gebhardt
08/30/2007
07:51AM
Age: 31
Location
Minnesota
Ok, so I've given this disc some time and it turns out that I don't think I dislike it as much as I thought. First, the keyboards aren't nearly as prevalent as the review makes it sound. Second, the deathcore moments where there are no keys are pretty brutal. Third, the songs have some nice grooves to them that make them listenable.

All in all, I think this has grown on me and I'd probably give it a 3/5 now.

Find me EVERYWHERE:

cloudscollide
08/30/2007
08:19AM
Age: 23
Location
PA
Well Rick, I'm happy that you've grown to like this CD. Although the keyboards aren't as prevalent as I might make them seem, the point I make about the parts they are in ruining the song still stands. It's not that they are in every part, it's that the parts they are in wipe out any hope of me liking the song at all because that particular part is so fucking horrible to my ears. Why ruin your song with goofy keyboards when it's actually going pretty good? Like, it's really not funny. Who are you trying to impress? Fans of hardcore or 5 year old girls?

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