Subscribe - Bookmarks
Rating
RIYL
Between the Buried and MeFair to Midland
Every Time I Die
Leprous
Release Date
03/20/2011
Label
SuperSize RecordingTracklist
01. Griping Portentous02. Anxiety Found Shape In Contradictions - Act II. Delusion
03. Anxiety Found Shape In Contradictions - Act III. The Final Relief
04. Bitter Boundary
05. Books For The Dyslexic
06. Orchitis
07. Ringside Seat
08. Álomtégla
09. Miles Away
10. Between Heaven And Her
11. Gay Rodeo
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I’ve been meaning to write this review for a while. Mr. Fritz covered Subscribe in an earlier Nick's Picks, so you may already be acquainted with this Hungarian six-piece, but if not—Reader, Subscribe. Subscribe, Reader. There.
What grabs me about Subscribe is that these guys work in so many genres and are masters of injecting short little interludes/cutaways just like Between the Buried and Me, except in Subscribe’s case you don’t feel like you’re slogging through minutes of mediocre metalcore to get to all the cool parts. On Bookmarks, every song is a continuous and self-renewing string of cool parts. On the same song you can hear injections of epic rock ala Queen, or gritty post-hardcore ala Glassjaw, then a slick solo with a Tool percussion section—and it never feels piecemeal.
“Alright Zach,” you’re saying, “So they’re a prog band. So what?”
And this is exactly why it’s been taking me so long to write this review. Why the hell do I dig these guys so much? But I finally have found my answer: Gay Rodeo.
“Gay Rodeo” is the perfect example of just how much ass Subscribe can kick in one song. In the first minute, we’ve got 3 vocal styles and an Every Time I Die opening. Then there’s a quick burst of jazz into a distorted sort of breakdown, and then the happiest piano-tinged chorus, which segues into this sort of middle-career Metallica-down, which segues in turn back to the happy chorus, except this time it’s low key and the drummer is playing that neat “shimmer” sound on a tiny set of chimes. Oh and then there’s a sweet burst of horns into this soulful lounge section which crescendos with even more horns and breaks into a solo, because Subscribe give no fucks. “Gay Rodeo” is Bookmarks in a nutshell. It’s eclectic to a high degree, but not schizophrenic. It feels varied, but always cohesive. It takes some kick-ass songwriters to pull that off, but Subscribe definitely do.
I can’t imagine why anyone would need further excuse to listen to a band that sounds like Every Time I Die and Fair to Midland had a virtuosic Hungarian baby, but if you aren’t convinced, just think about gay rodeos. It will all become clear.
--Zach Roth
Comments
Columbus, OH
You had me at "Gay Rodeo"...
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Reno, NV
You never had me, you never will.... But I might have to check this out, even though I am not on the wagon of all the RIYL bands. Wait, I must like gay rodeos too.. Damnit!
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
London, UK
If this is anything like as good as it sounds I'll be very happy. Definitely checking this out
Currently listening to:
Jolly - The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2)
Leprous - Coal
Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer
Amorphis - Circle
Hope For The Dying - Aletheia
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Thanks for this review, great album. I'm on my fourth listen and it's simply amazing, so many layers and stuff to discover on each listen.
London, UK
Wow, I geninely don't remember when I last enjoyed something on first listen as much as this. Thanks
Currently listening to:
Jolly - The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2)
Leprous - Coal
Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer
Amorphis - Circle
Hope For The Dying - Aletheia
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Reno, NV
Same here. I genuinely don't remember ever liking anything that Zach liked. But this is pretty damn good.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
Lehigh Valley, PA
I guess I need to try again because I'm not feeling this AT ALL.
Fishers, Indiana
Bill, it's not really something I'd ever peg you as liking.
Buck, I appreciate the cheap shot. haha. And hey, the fact that you checked it out despite despising my taste is cool too.
Everyone else, thanks for reading and checking them out! I'm glad you dig.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Lehigh Valley, PA
WELL WHEN YOU LIST ETID AS A RIYL, YOU'RE GONNA GET MY INTEREST
Fishers, Indiana
IT WAS SORT OF A VOCAL/RIFF THING ON RARE OCCASIONS. THEY SWITCH UP THEIR SOUND SO MUCH THAT IT'S ONLY AN ACCURATE RIYL ON CERTAIN SONGS AT CERTAIN POINTS
I AM SORRY IF I WAS MISLEADING
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Baton Rouge
Eh. Zach, I usually like your left-field Eastern European recommendations, but this just rubs me the wrong way (I'm listening to Gay Rodeo right now). Maybe it just sounds too damn goofy or something.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Fishers, Indiana
It's the goofiest song on the album, I'll give you that. Atila particularly likes Bitter Boundary.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Baton Rouge
YOU MISSED MY DIRTY JOKE.
DAY RUINED.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Fishers, Indiana
Oh I mean uh HOW CAN A GAY RODEO RUB YOU THE WRONG WAY THERE ARE ONLY RIGHT WAYS WHEN IT COMES TO THE GAYS
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Fishers, Indiana
btw, this album has bitchin artwork/packaging! Thanks to Attila:
It's a book!
The CD.
Gay fuckin rodeo.
Top Albums: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Columbus, OH
I really like this. It's basically if Fair to Midland were more inspired by good metalcore (like ETID) than dredg.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
I wonder how much (or how little) Rick will like this one... (as one of the real cognoscenti he knows the previous Subscribe releases).
Btw, to me Bitter Boundary and Between Heaven and Her are the true highlights. The latter to me is like Subscribe's Wings For Marie.
Actually, there was an interview with one of the singers back in December, just in case you missed ;)
Baton Rouge
YOU MADE MY DIRTY JOKE SEEM BASE AND OFFENSIVE.
DAY MORE RUINED.
Honestly, though, nice package, particularly Gay Rodeo.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Minnesota
Subscribe's debut I thought was pretty cool. Their sophomore album, Stuck Progress to the Moon I felt was a step back and pretty blah (but not bad). Bookmarks is a definite jump back in the right direction. I'm not quite as enamored by it as some of you are, but it has the potential to grow on me, much like Fair to Midland's latest album had to.
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