RX Bandits - ...And the Battle Begun
Rating
RIYL
The ExitThe Police
The Mars Volta
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Oingo Boingo
Tracklist
1. ...and the Battle Begun2. In Her Drawer
3. Only for the Night
4. On a Lonely Screen
5. 1980
6. One Million Miles an Hour, Fast Asleep
7. Apparition
8. Mouth Full of Hollow Threats?
9. Epoxi-Lips
10. Tainted Wheat
11. To Our Unborn Daughters
12. Crushing Destroyer
Users Rating |
Your RatingCreate an account or log in to rate this album |
Recent Ratings |
|
|
|
This is a review that will, in essence, be spending an inordinate amount of time discussing the conspicuously large set of balls that the RX Bandits collectively run around with. Starting your album off with a multi-layered a capella snippet? Shit, boys, that’s straight up elephantitis.
The RX Bandits have never been one to rest on their laurels; while they have always been a predominantly ska classified band, each successive album has pushed the limiting boundaries of any predetermined ‘style’ farther and farther away. ...And the Battle Begun challenges your ears in the best way possible with shifting time signatures, wildly varying moods, and general chaotic genius.
On their simplest day, the RX Bandits’ songs have never been of the “verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-solo-chorus-chorus” format, but with their exceedingly (and well deserved) confident third release, structure moves into territories that can best be described as an accessible The Mars Volta for the pogo-ing set. The energy stays high without fail, as do the stunningly powerful chops and versatility of singer/songwriter Matt Embree and his assembled group of skillful performers. I’ve long bitched and moaned about the slew of popular bands who have a problem with keeping their “rocking out on stage” to “how hard the song actually rocks” ratio credible (back-flipping/wiener-exposing Fall Out Boy bassist, I’m looking at you), but listening to any of the tracks on Battle one cannot help but picture the group bringing some well-deserved manic freak out to the stage as they tear through track after track of intense (but still intensely positive) music.
Positivity is important to note in the style of the RX Bandits. Devoid of cynicism, the music really comes across (to borrow a cliché) like a breath of fresh air. There is no posturing or preening in these songs, no holier than thou attitude - even when Embree is lyrically telling us how he thinks things should be. The aforementioned The Mars Volta and countless other experimental bands mine similar “anything goes so long as its good” territory, but never has this boundary pushing been so refreshing and catch-ily “head bob” inducing... and shred-a-riffic (man, you guys just pull them out every chance you get, don’t ya).
These damn Bandits never really seemed like a good fit on the increasingly Hot Topic oriented Drive Thru Records, so it is no surprise that the group negotiated a release from their contract shortly before this album was finished. Throwing this group onto a tour with Hellogoodbye and The Early November would simply be a disservice to everyone involved. The Bandits would be playing to a crowd that was probably not all that into their bizarre brilliance, and Hellogoodbye[b] or [b]The Early November would just be exposed for how ultimately bland and shitty they really are.
So Embree took it DIY style, starting his own label (MDB Records) to release this album, and hopefully eventually other like minded artists. It might be a little harder for you to track down …And the Battle Begun compared to their last three releases – which all had the promotional power of the people that brought you the musical genius of Finch behind them - but anyone looking for high energy, technically proficient, (dare I say) mind expanding ska-punk-funk-rock simply must pick up this disc.
--Jeff Latta
Comments
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
Tucson, AZ
Buffalo, NY
rhode island
VT
My Top Songs of '09
The Appleseed Cast//as the little things go
Caspian//sycamore
Sunwrae//Chinook Winds
Dredg//down to the seller
If These Trees Could Talk//the sun is in the north
From Monument to Masses//an ounce of prevention
Straylight Run//i'm through with the past
LpShinobi's Post-Rock and Shoegazing Recommendation, via YouTube
Lpshinobi's Post-Rock Band, New Song Posted
Dubuque
Facebook / MySpace
View Chris Conlan's profile on LinkedIn
Fort Bragg, CA
Colorado
Great review.