This bad boy might be my gateway into metalcore. From the gritty tones and punchiness of each breakdown, I adore this album. Such a beautiful time capsule, too, with the inclusion of Russell Crowe Gladiator quotes and shotgun breakdown intros.
I didn't fully understand Comeback Kid until I saw them at Facedown Fest in 2004. Glasshouse went OFF. Stage dives, everyone moving, you could just FEEL what Comeback Kid is and will always be. Turn It Around is one of those albums that's quick, to the point, and makes you start it right back up when it's over.
My list is so beautifully indulgent because I LOVE all these albums. With a 2003 release, I was a sophomore in high school and this album helped me jump fully into the hardcore/metalcore pool. Nodes combined some catchy choruses with ridiculous breakdowns, which is what I needed to really understand this genre of music. My favorite part is the cheekiness that they applied to their lyrics ("Break out the best china" / "Kill them with a smile").
Pure hardcore. Unfiltered. Straight into my veins. Let's go. Breakdown callouts ("I GIVE YOU MY LIFE, ALMIGHTY GOD!"). Two-steps galore. Come on. Stop being a prude, put this record on, and smile.
Here's the deal: I went to a small Christian high school, and a day didn't pass without SOMEONE wearing the classic NIV hoodie with "I would die tonight for my beliefs" blasted on the back. To be completely candid, I never got super into NIV, but they're, oddly enough, very influential and foundational to my relationship with hardcore culture. Legacy act forever ingrained into my heart.
So much cool. So much swag. Another local band from San Diego that featured my bud, Joey Bradford. You think of Thieves & Liars and you can just feel their set - late 2006/7. Jumping Turtle in Vista, CA. Pretttttty sweaty. Riffing for days. All that aside, this album is really really dope. Taking the concept of Joseph and making it a riffing rock n roll album *chef's kiss*
My band had the pleasure of playing with Comrades in San Diego in 2019 and their set was great. Comrades is able to blend the ethereal and chaotic in such a unique way with the two vocal styles intertwining throughout the record. The music mixed with the amazing artwork by Imani Givertz and Laura McElroy makes a very dope experience.
Music can transcend its specific genre and intention, and this album does that effortlessly. Shane Ochsner absolutely crushed this album. Just a straight up vibe from start to finish. The allure of the artwork and the recording story mixed with Shane's emotion poured into the lyrics all come together to create a very special album. My personal fave is "Choke."
(Full Disclosure - the final two albums on my list were created by my friends. I love both these bands dearly. And you can catch us both on tour in November.)
You didn't think I could make a list and not include the greatest metalcore band of all time and their heroic return to stardom and fame?!? You have got to be kidding me! Do you realize how lucky we are to be alive during their musical dynasty?!? And just you wait to hear Sacred Mirrors. All-timer coming up later this year. "Oh... Austin... you forgot to mention what you like about Sunbreather" - EVERYTHING!! Dang it, everything!
You come across albums every once in a while that just blow you away with the amount of thought and design that went into every little aspect of it... and we got one here. It's like catching a rare Pokemon. Getting to know Christian Nielsen (aka Sweat Tea), you start to understand that everything you hear on ITD&AA is by intentional design. Literature nerds.
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Mat Kearney Certainty - Single (independent)
