Frankreich hat viel zu bieten und sicherlich ein absolutes Highlight dieses Landes sind Celeste. Nach Pessimiste(s) und Nihiliste(s) kommt nun der 3. Teil der Serie – Misanthrope(s) – um uns zu überrennen. Gerade nach Nihiliste(s) waren die Erwartungen sehr groß und die Vorfreude auf geballte Energie noch größer. Was kann man nun zu Misanthrope(s) sagen? Celeste ist sicherlich wieder ein sehr gutes Album gelungen. Klanglich tritt es in vollkommene Symbiose zum Vorgänger Nihiliste(s) und genau das ist gleichzeitig größtes Lob wie auch größter Kritikpunkt am Album. Nach dem fast schon Überalbum Nihiliste(s) schaffen Celeste es diesen Level zu halten, nicht jedoch zu toppen.
Na gut das konnte man nicht erwarten, da das Niveau des Vorgängers auch extrem hoch war und es schon ein wahnsinniger Erfolg ist dieses zu halten. Zumal das auch so vielen – auch extrem guten Bands – nicht gelingt. Also kein Grund um am Album anzuecken? Prinzipiell ja. Celeste schaffen es wieder einen mit solch einer Wucht zu überrollen, dass man sich gerne mal verwirrt umblickt, suchend nach der Herde tollwütiger Büffel die einen da gerade platt getrampelt hat. Die Stimmung bleibt durchgehen düster und bedrohlich. Nicht umsonst wurde das Album um 6.66pm zum Download frei gegeben ;). Die Shouts sind richtig beißend, die Riffs walzen nur so dahin, das Schlagzeug prescht nur so drauf los und dabei verliert das Ganze nie an Ästhetik.
Also ein Meisterwerk? Ja und Nein.
Celeste schaffen es leider nicht sich vom grandiosen Vorgänger zu lösen. So wirkt Misanthrope(s) häufig wie der 2., bisher fehlende Teil von Nihiliste(s). An sich nicht verkehrt zumal die Alben ja zusammen hängen sollen, jedoch hören sich die Alben so verdammt ähnlich an, dass Misanthrope(s) einfach eine eigene Identität fehlt. Hört man sich die 2 Alben nacheinander an, kann es durchaus passieren, dass man verdutzt auf die Player Anzeige schaut um sich zu vergewissern, dass man nicht doch versehentlich 2mal Nihiliste(s) in die Playlist geschoben hat. Hier hätte man vielleicht für etwas mehr Variation sorgen können.
Fazit: Tolles, energiegeladenes Album, dem leider etwas die Abgrenzung zum Vorgänger fehlt. Nichts desto trotz ein Album auf extrem hohem Niveau das richtig Spaß macht und zu überzeugen weiß.
France has a lot to offer and surely one of the highlights of this country are Celeste. After Pessimiste(s) and Nihiliste(s) now the 3rd part of the series – Misanthrope(s) – is released to overrun everybody not quick enough to jump aside. Especially after Nihiliste(s) the expectations couldn`t be higher and the anticipation of pure energy was even bigger. What to say about Misanthrope(s)? Well Celeste surely managed to record an extremely good album again. Concerning the sound it goes hand in hand with it`s parent Nihiliste(s) and this is it`s strength and weak spot at the same time. After the incredible strong and almost unreachable Nihiliste(s), Celeste manage to stay on this level but not to top it.
Okay this couldn`t be expected especially as the level of the partent was extremely high and reaching this level again can be seen as success. Above all a lot of bands – releasing great records – can never reach this level again. So no reason for being disappointed? In the first run yes. Celeste are overrunning you with such power that you turn around – looking for the rabid flock of buffaloes that trampled you to the ground. The atmosphere is always dark and threatening. not on accident the album was released at 6.66pm ;). The shouts are itching, the riffs are rolling towards you, the drums dashing unstoppable and at the same time the whole sound doesn`t loose aesthetics.
So a masterpiece? Yes and no.
Sadly Celeste can`t cut off from the parent album. Sometimes Misanthrope(s) seems like the – forgotten – second part of Nihiliste(s). First you might think nothing especially because the albums build a circle but the two albums sound that damn equal that i`m missing the own identity of Misanthrope(s). If you listen to both albums in a row, it can happen that you look – quite confused – onto your playlist to be sure that you didn`t add Nihiliste(s) two times. This is the point where some more variation would be appreciated.
So at the end: A great, powerfull recording, which is missing a little borderline to it`s parent. But still a album on an extremely high level which is fun to listen to.
I don’t really know how to start writing about The Kidcrash’s 2007 release Jokes. I could write an intro about the bands history (stale), some preluding words about the incurrence of the record and some statements of the band (maybe interesting, but too lavishly) or I could start off with a little genre definition and sweeping swipes at the MTV-emo generation who obviously knows a sh** about music (seriously, how pretentious would that be?). After all I decided to go without an introducing paragraph (besides the already existing one of course), only concentrating on the main thing this all will be about; the fabulous music you’ll find on this record. Be prepared.
It opens up with some of the most beautiful interacting guitars I’ve ever heard, the intro to “Turtlelephant”. From that point on you’ll experience the maybe best blend of mellow mid-west emo, rough but melodic skramz ala Daitro and more blustering contemporaries like Off Minor, whose eruptive character and everchanging quiet/loud sections present a formular that The Kidcrash will push to its limits during the 41 minutes of playing time. While the majority of the heavy sections are somewhat well-known but effective, with passioned screaming over dissonant chords tightened by poignant leads and sick drumming, the calmer parts and their resolution in eruptive bursts of crashing distortion are the highlight of the record and will hit you at least 3 times per song. No track relies on one hitting crescendo, on one climax that’s supposed to blow the listener out of the water. Instead they use the quiet/loud approach for a multifaceted rhythmic pathway that evolves the songs through beautiful melodic motifs as well as textured and harmonized modulations among the single instruments. Especially their apprehension of an inventive and sensible use of altered time signatures, that conclude the particular musically themes without ceasing the proceeding flow with start-stop breaks or weird transitions is sweeping, done in best math rock manner. Most prominent on closer listenings, the driving force behind this mathy character of The Kidcrash’s music is the colorful drumming, sounding uncommonly off-kilter while outlining likewise the rhythmical backbone and putting emphasis on unaccented notes to provide the songs with new dynamical spins. You'd almost think that the tripping drumming is merely juxtaposed to the perfectly intertwining guitars, rarely profound meshing but jointly rushing forward when the song picks up speed and intensity after trundling, guitar driven interludes.
While they manage it to range every instrument on the same level, The Kidcrash compounded in the vocals section; and really for the better. Keeping the screaming level relatively low in the mix, they only add it to intensify the impact of the heavy segments and exclude it from the softer arrangements, letting the beautiful compositions shine in their instrumental beauty. Due to the occurrence of many of such louder momentums, the scrubbing screams toe the line flawlessly into the complete works, not remaining as an extraordinary appearance that takes the spot as the songs peak by accident.
Lets conclude: Breathtaking, homogenous, coordinated, free-flowing, beautiful, exciting, appealing, balanced (I could go on for quite some time) emo that ditches in post-hardcore, math rock and screamo terrain at pleasure to provide itself with the momentary needed changes in sound. All its influences make Jokes a non-dreary and challenging-but-catchy collection of nine songs, whose richness of detail and countless subtle nuances give the record an impressive replay value. With some of the best-matched guitarists (check out the in reverb drenched guitar wankery in the one and a half minute instrumental “Kissed From a Roach On The Grave”), whose individual skill filter through on every occasion (the two-handed tapping parts in “Hypothetical Basking Shark” for instance), a killing drummer (he really is) and especially the ability to combine everything into a tight package, The Kidcrash set a landmark of an album that everybody into good music should check out. And for all those people justifiably claiming Gospel’s The Moon Is A Dead World as the best thing the emo genre has to offer: Be prepared for a change. Be prepared.
Tracklist: 01 - Turtlelephant 02 - The Ground Eats You 03 - Life Was Real, Vital, Urgent, Important 04 - Hypothetical Basking Shark 05 - Kiss from a Roach on the Grave 06 - Parrot's Just Don't Understand 07 - Ron Ghousley's Fucked Up Dream 08 - A Conduit Rather Than a Vault 09 - Swingsets and Frozen Grapes
Genre: Emo, Screamo, Post Hardcore, Math Rock (41:38) 192 kBit/s
Preview:
New Ruins (2004)
New Ruins is some kind of a double-edged sword. Clearly showing off the talent and ability stored in The Kidcrash, it seems that they utilized it in a too forced and reckless approach. They merge skilled dual-guitar work and sophisticated drum patterns with obvious pop punk sensibilities, namely hook-driven song structures and corded up songwriting. While admittedly the technical aspects can’t prevent the songs from being typical pop punk affairs, The Kidcrash used them to jazz up the tracks with mathy riffing, tight drum fills and more compact vocalism/lyricism.
Containing melodic progressions that are catchy and easily accessible, appropriate varying rhythm figures and the driving force of the speeding guitars, New Ruins offers nine well-written songs that are entertaining and rocking from start to finish. Sure it can’t compare itself with the masterpiece that is Jokes, but it’s a great beginner record for people wanting to give the whole math rock thingy a first look, and a welcome change in the more and more stagnating genre that pop punk is today.
Some songs to check out: “Your Valley Is Our Volcano (Preview)”, “Scalpel Cuts Concrete” and "Drowning Swan’s Song”.
Tracklist: 01 - Your Valley Is Our Volcano 02 - Until the Light Kills the Film 03 - New Ruins 04 - Scalpel Cuts Concrete 05 - Gun at the Parade 06 - Afterburn of Being Born 07 - Talking Underwater 08 - Eyes That Never Hit the Sky 09 - Drowning Swan's Song
Genre: Pop Punk, Math Rock (37:32) 192 kBit/s
Preview:
Splits
Misspellings Split 5'' w/ Arse Moreira (2007)
Split 10" w/ Coffin Dancer (2007)
Heavy Nugs And Heady Chugs' Split 7" w/ L'Antietam (2008)
The Kidcrash's songs on the splits range from short screamo attacks ("Pig Hands") to lenghty epics ("Water Weed"), picking up the sound the band left off with the glorious album Jokes.
Genre: Emo, Screamo, Post Hardcore, Math Rock 192 kBit/s
EPs & Demos
Demo CDR (2006)
I Haven't Had A Date In 4 Years Goldie Hawn Goldie Hawn Goldie Hawn EP (2005)
While the demo only consists of five early versions from upcoming Jokes songs (awesome of course but get Jokes right away), the EP offers three untitled songs that are much more hardcore inspired than anything The Kidcrash has done before and afterwards. Not as intriguing as their later works, the tracks are catchy and tightly written as well, worth to check out.
Tracklist Demo: 01 - A Conduit Rather Than a Vault 02 - Life Was Real, Vital, Urgent, Important 03 - The Ground Eats You 04 - Hypothetical Basking Shark 05 - Swingsets and Frozen Grapes
Genre: Emo, Screamo, Post Hardcore, Math Rock (30:57) 192 kBit/s
Tracklist EP: 01 - Untitled I 02 - Untitled II 03 - Untitled III
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