Lunes 11 May 2009, 0:53
4/5 stars
Straight out of New Hampshire comes the post-hardcore/screamo/punk stylings of Our Last Night, whose Epitaph debut release “The Ghosts Among Us” may never top billboard charts but will definitely get your toe tapping and head banging.
At first, anyone could be skeptical of another long-haired, tight-jeaned, hoodied-up group of teenagers. The sound borders on typical of the genre but is a little less poppy in feel, without losing its catchiness.
Though the screaming of Trevor Wentworth could certainly use some polishing in terms of solidity and clarity, it’s about as much as one could (and should) expect from a pubescent boy. Still, his larynx-thrashing howls carry the passion necessary to catapult the band to bigger and better things down the road.
Trevor’s brother, Matt Wentworth, provides the melodic singing, which is undeniably exceptional. Most of the melodies linger in the high chest region, as is typical of most screamo, which allows Wentworth to belt them with raw emotion.
The CD’s plastic wrapping claims that, “scene kids across the world are taking notice of Our Last Night’s skillful ability to craft brilliantly catchy songs while maintaining credibility with their astounding technicality and talent for finding and exceptional balance between the heavy and the melodic.” This is a very accurate description; they switch between catchy melodies and intense breakdowns pretty fluently without a hiccup.
Fans of the post-hardcore genre will find their heads incessantly banging to these songs. The breakdowns are intense, and on the shoulders of Trevor’s screams, fans will be thrashing through mosh pits at their concerts for years to come.
As with any CD, a few tracks are highlights of the playlist. The opening track, “Symptoms of a Failing System” opens with a crescendo into a burst of melodic noise, emphasized by Trevor screaming. The quick palm-muted chugs in the verse make the song feel very upbeat even though the tempo is only moderate. The riff is technical in its speedy scaling.
“Running the Clocks” is one of those songs that takes some time to grow on you, but once you appreciate the unique tempo switches you’ll find yourself humming the tune in your everyday life. Perhaps my favorite ending of any song on the CD, an intense breakdown ensues with about 15 seconds left in the song, and suddenly the sound dies and the song is over; A masterful way to end any hardcore track.
“Recovery” is possibly the most catchy song on the CD, with an incredibly upbeat tempo and a very easy-to-remember melody. The way with which it transitions from its upbeat tempo to slower, and then picks right back up where it left off, makes this great for moshing and concert-going in general. One final breakdown kicks in right at the very end of the song, and suddenly the brutality is over with one last strike of the power chord.
Another great song is “I Have Fought A Measureless Battle”, for its sheer originality throughout. It’s much less melodic than the rest of the CD, with only one melody repeating itself, and only repeating once. Matt’s melodic appearances are few and far between, giving the song a much more hardcore feel than the “post-” prefix would imply. The breakdown, as has become the pattern, is at the very end of the track, and lasts about 30 seconds, and it is this intensity with which the song abruptly ends with silence.
Other tracks of note are “This Is Your Lifesaver”, “Dreamcatcher”, and “Escape”. All in all, I would say this CD is a great buy for fans of the genre, especially those who enjoy the sound of bands such as Underoath, A Day to Remember, and Silverstein.