This Is Hell - Sundowning
Rating
RIYL
Give Up The GhostThe Suicide File
Modern Life is War
Comeback Kid
Blacklisted
Label
TrustkillTracklist
1. Retrospect2. Prelude (Again)
3. Here Come The Rains
4. Permanence
5. 4/8/05
6. The Polygraph Cheaters
7. Deliver Me
8. The Absentee Ballot
9. Broken Teeth
10. 8/27/05
11. Procession Commence
12. Nobody Leaves Without Singing The Blues
13. Epilogue
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Regardless of the self-destructive junior-high level crying and the horseshit name-calling that has reportedly overtaken the DIY attitude and the “stay strong and rise above” mantra of many hardcore scenes, there are still bands out there that can take the higher road above the scene politics and still kick you directly in the teeth. Insert Trustkill Records’ and Long Island’s very own This Is Hell – an in your face five-piece made up of the blistering remnants of Scraps and Heart Attacks and members of fan favorites The Backup Plan. This Is Hell’s latest release, Sundowning, is a twenty-nine minute serving of floor-punching, ass-kicking hardcore goodness that has more than a hint of old-school flavor baked throughout. From the beginning to the end, Sundowning sounds like a lost Give Up the Ghost album that could have been recorded on the heels of We’re Down Til We’re Underground; however, it isn’t a mythical album from the now defunct gods of modern hardcore, instead it’s a solid first brick in what could prove to be the road back to what hardcore has supposedly lost.
As soon as Sundowning kicks off, listeners are bombarded with the earnest shouts of frontman Travis Reilly, who sounds eerily like Wes Eisold of AN/GUTG and Some Girls fame (which in and of itself will peak the interest of and stir the pits for hardcore lovers all around). With every line soaked in intensity and old-school urgency, the vocal quality on Sundowning is enough to send chills through you; however, while it might feel like a pleasant blast from the past, don’t expect the subject matter to be dated or cliché. Instead of opting for the easy subjects that many core outfits tackle nowadays (namely scene aesthetics and politics), This Is Hell’s lyrical themes include handling and learning from loss, unavoidable maturation and the jadedness that can accompany, and moving on despite these realities of life. Kind of makes all of your band’s rants about being “edge” and losing girlfriends seem a little lackluster, huh? The fact of the matter is that This Is Hell realizes that life is real, life is urgent, life is important, and life will never be judged based off of your shitty narrow-minded scene rules... it’s all about how you persevere.
As for the instrumental side of things, Sundowning is basically an extensive guide to creating moving, semi-thrashy and fast hardcore that pummels the competition. Drummer Dan Bourke delivers the atypical drum chops with speeds that shouldn’t be attempted by most of the amateurs that hang out behind the drum kits of your various venues and guitarists Rick Jiminez and Joe Osolin help lead the charge from the moment that Sundowning kicks off. The talent level matched with the heavily experienced lineup of This Is Hell has not let us down on their latest endeavor, as they seem like a group of veterans that have finally managed to win the pennant after years of leading their own separate teams to good but not great seasons. Basically, think of a professionally polished lovechild that was born in a massive three-way between The Suicide File, American Nightmare, and Comeback Kid at a self-help meeting for survivors of tragedy and you’ll have Sundowning.
To sum it all up, Sundowning is an extremely passionate, “carpe diem” minded high-speed romp through the areas of hardcore that haven’t been visited too much lately; however, these are the areas that the genre should be grazing upon and/or building on. From the two-step inducing riffage and epic gang vocals on the more accessible tracks “Here Comes the Rains” and “The Polygraph Cheaters” to the charismatic, heartfelt chants of the mature “Permanence” to the intense, focused lyricism on “Procession Commence” (which features a kick ass cameo from Glassjaw/Head Automatica vocalist Daryl Palumbo), Sundowning is a powerfully somber album that manages to rekindle the flames of both hardcore and life in general. Have you ever had that album that seemed to speak to you, ignite you to be something better, and force you to realize what you got before you lose it? Ever heard that song that made you want start living life before the world around you lives it for you? Well, if not, I encourage you to pick up This Is Hell’s latest release, because it was all of the above for me. Here’s to hoping that This Is Hell “will fucking live forever,” because we need you around these parts.
--Jayme Barkdoll
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Cleveland, OH
Scene Point Blank / Escapist Records
Minnesota
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Minnesota
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haha, unfortunately I came in after that... but that would've been fun to heckle you about. I actually liked their cd (four wall something or nother i think it was) back when I first heard it... but blah, not anymore at all. I think most everyone knows I like it when ppl disagree and agree... it makes these reviews and discussions much more fun. Just look at my BTBAM review haha. I doubt anyone will be arguing with my upcoming score on Greeley Estates.
Minnesota
Jared will. He likes 'em. I also don't mind them for mindless faux-screamo.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
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Music Blog.
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Tuscaloosa, AL
haha ooopps.
Cleveland, OH
Scene Point Blank / Escapist Records
Tuscaloosa, AL
Olathe, Kansas