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The Gauntlet: Arson Anthem |
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Arson Anthem Album Review
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Tracklist
1. Year of the Fork
2. Doomed Morale
3. Bunker Life
4. Hammer Them Out
5. Wrecked Like Clockwork
6. Cops Shoot Coke
7. The Avoider
8. Sri Lankan Medication
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This is the best new CD I have heard in a long time. It is the band's debut, and even though it has 8 tracks it is still only about 20 minutes long. (We listened to it twice while crossing the 23 mile long Ponchatrain Causeway at 65 miles per hour, someone else can do the math).
The sound is totally original, at the same time it is reminiscent of the hardcore metal of the late 80s. It reminds me a bit of the early Nuclear Assault and/or DRI, but the musicianship is better. It is fast and heavy.
While there are many influences in the their sound, it is not as cliche as one might expect when the lineup is known. The CD was passed to me by Mike Williams of EYEHATEGOD who sings for the band, so needless to say the vocals are in the vein of that band, and the Southern Metal of the region.
I had no idea who else was in the band until I looked at the CD case later when I arrived home. Along with Williams is Phil Ansemlo on guitar, Hank WIlliams III on drums and WIlliams' old friend Collin Yeo on bass. The mix is surprisingly good, and I don't mean to sound cynical but supergroups tend to suck, and especially so when the members stray from their usual instruments. Arson Anthem though is the exception to those rules, I am happy to say. The CD is very listenable, and songs like 'Year Of The Fork' and 'Hammer Them Out' really stand out on a well above the average release.
If Phil Ansemlo keeps this up, the poorly named Causeway Bridge may someday bear his name, the same way Louis Armstrong has currently cornered the market on that sort of thing in New Orleans.
Review by: Amy Bugbee
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