Comeback Kid - Symptoms + Cures
Rating
RIYL
This is HellEvergreen Terrace
Verse
With Honor
Release Date
08/31/2010
Label
Victory RecordsTracklist
1. Do Yourself a Favor2. Crooked Floors
3. G.M. Vincent and I
4. Because of All
5. The Concept Says
6. Balance
7. Symptoms + Cures
8. Manifest
9. Get Alone
10. Magnet Pull
11. Pull Back the Reins
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Comeback Kid has become a household name in hardcore over the years; forming in 2002, the Canadian quintet previously released three albums of varying quality. Turn It Around served as a solid introduction to the band, but their sophomore release Wake the Dead is considered by many to be the peak of their career with its well executed mix of melody and aggression. The group’s third effort, Broadcasting, had its good moments as well and marked the beginning of a more structured Comeback Kid, but overall it didn’t live up to what the band had done in the past. This now brings us up to the present day, where Symptoms and Cures has recently been released to the masses, showcasing the growth the group underwent over the past three years.
Symptoms and Cures mixes the more structured format of the songs on Broadcasting with the intensity and emotion found on Wake the Dead. “Do Yourself a Favor” opens the album and it’s good to hear a band not use an intro track for once. What the song lacks in melody, it makes up for in aggression, with ferocious guitar riffs and a hearty breakdown to fill out the chorus parts. Skip to the third track, “G.M. Vincent and I,” and you’ll hear classic Comeback Kid. The song is blazing fast, except for a suspenseful buildup towards the end, with an extremely catchy chorus layered with gang vocals. “Because of All” comes next and features a more rock-oriented side of the band; if you remove the vocals it sounds like a Foo Fighters song. It’s a welcome change of pace though and helps to add some diversity to the album.
Moving on to the latter half of Symptoms and Cures, “Balance” features a fantastic guitar part that isn’t played nearly enough throughout the song. The chorus riff is so simple but brilliant and the emotive vocals provide the perfect complement to the music, it’s just a shame the part wasn’t exploited more. “Get Alone” also deserves some praise; the verses are deep and powerful musically and again, the singing goes perfectly to add that extra level of intensity. Moreover, the lyrics may seem repetitive at first, but the catchiness will overcome you after some time. Comeback Kid decides to close out the album by pummeling listeners in the head for a few minutes with “Pull Back the Reigns.” The first half of the song is some of the heaviest work the band has ever done and it eventually transitions to an epic emotional ending
While there are countless aspects of Symptoms and Cures to gush about, the album needs more songs like the ones mentioned above. About a third of the tracks aren’t very memorable, and while they’re good songs, they don’t really add anything to the album except for time. Overall though, this is one of Comeback Kid’s best efforts, and it’s clear they put a lot of time and effort into writing these songs. Fans of the band definitely need to pick this up and for those of you who haven’t thought about these guys in awhile, give them another shot.
--Nicholas Fritz
Comments
Minnesota
This is definitely a great album. I have loved everything this band has done (even Broadcasting) and this album continues showing how awesome these guys are.
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Illinois
this is a pretty awesome album. i feel like i haven't listened to it much, but i will listen more by the end of the year.
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The old Comeback Kid singer got on my nerves so I only liked 3 or 4 songs before, then I heard Broadcasting about a year after it came out and I couldn't believe how amazing it was. I was really excited about this album and initially wasn't sure it was as good, but after a few listens, it just may be better.