Hawthorne Heights - Skeletons
Rating
RIYL
Armor For SleepBayside
Silverstein
Release Date
06/01/2010
Label
Wind Up RecordsTracklist
01. Bring You Back02. Nervous Breakdown
03. The End of the Underground
04. Drive
05. Gravestones
06. Broken Man
07. Last Few Words
08. Abandoned Driveways
09. Picket Fences
10. Here I Am
11. Hollywood & Vine
12. Unforgivable
13. Boy
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Hawthorne Heights started as a “screamo” band that you either loved or hated. No matter who you were, you knew who this band was and had an opinion on them. Their debut, The Silence in Black and White, was both a fan favorite and a disaster to those who hated it. Haters aside, the band's follow-up, If Only You Were Lonely, did well in sales and continued the momentum that the band had been building up. After a long drawn out lawsuit against Victory Records and the loss of band member Casey Calvert, the band continued on to release the not so well received Fragile Future.
The band's major label debut, Skeletons, on Wind-Up Records is an improvement upon everything the band has released up until now. With great guitar riffs, spectacular vocal work, and some good rock songs, the band has taken their rebooted image from Fragile Future and pushed it to make an overall solid album for a wider audience. The album's opener, “Bring You Back”, immediately showcases the band's sound with a powerful chorus, some great hooks, and singer JT Woodruff's dynamic vocals. The lyrics might be somewhat lackluster, but it is a great opener and introduction for the entire album.
The album continues with “Nervous Breakdown”, the first single off the album. One of the album's standout tracks, it's a solid song with a great chorus and some nice songwriting. “End of the Underground” has a very distinct sound that could almost be comparable to a song by label-mates Bayside. Despite the mimicking songwriting, the song is pretty good, showcasing the band's ability to write songs that sound like their old music (including the screams) but keep their new sound. After these songs, the album kind of blends together. Songs in the latter half of the album don't really stand out like the first few songs. “Abandoned Driveways”, “Hollywood and Vine”, and “Boy” all offer decent songwriting that keep your ears busy for their duration, but they don't really go anywhere spectacular.
While the album isn't anything unique, I must praise the band for finally moving on from Victory Records and pushing their sound in the direction that they need to be in. Some people will enjoy this album, but most will probably push this aside. The first few songs are catchy, and there may be one or two standout tracks past that, but the album is honestly a lackluster performance from the band. The songwriting is nothing that hasn't been heard before, but it's decent nonetheless. If you are not expecting much going in, it is a decent album, but you probably will not listen to it again.
--Dylan Newell
Comments
Green Brook, NJ
wind-up isn't a major label, btw. it's just the largest independent record company in the world.
also, "broken man" is an amazing song. i can do without most of the record. "nervous breakdown" is good but the chorus totally sounds like that miley cyrus song "party in the usa."
Minneapolis, MN
Am I the only one who still thinks Casey Calvert killed Hawthorne Heights?
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Minnesota
I don't think anyone gives half a shit about this band anymore. I've never really cared about them other than to get pissed off when I'd hear that Ohio song.
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West Haven, CT
Bingo.
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Cincinnati
Unless you live in Ohio...
Illinois
you know what they say....
ohio IS for lovers
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Dubuque
Some good songs, more filler.
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West Haven, CT
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.