I've had this promo for a little while now, and I feel that everybody should know about it. Cursed is basically and evil punk/sludge band. Neal will surely appreciate it, but anybody interested in a slightly progressive style of hardcore, punk, or sludge should give the band a seriously listen.
Here's the Lambgoat review:
Cursed
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]Two[/font]
2005
Goodfellow Records
OUR RATING - 9 /10 (6494 views)
comments (29) [add]
I am of the honest opinion that Cursed may very well be one of the only punk rock bands that really matter right now. Their blend of thrashy punk and sludge grew from the ashes of The Swarm, Ruination and Left For Dead, and with the release of their second album, Two, they have honed their distinctly evil sound to a jagged point. The ten songs that comprise Two showcase the refinement of the uniquely savage style that was so impressive on their Deathwish Inc. debut, One. While the relative simplicity of their musical approach and the grittiness of their production might turn off certain listeners, there is more than enough great music on this record to appease the harshest critic.
After the album's brief but fitting introduction, Cursed launches into a series of songs that, while raw on the surface, are expertly written and executed. Each of these hardcore gems is complemented with some of the most darkly intelligent lyrics I've heard since American Nightmare's first record. The one thing that stands out above all the other fine points of this record is the guitar riffs. Despite the lines themselves often bearing slight resemblance to other artists, as in the seemingly Misfits-inspired opening to "Reparations" or the Black Sabbath-esque "Model Home Invasion," their implementation is pure gold. Back all this up with a rhythm section that resembles a steam roller more than drum and bass, and the end product is highly enjoyable.
One of the most fascinating things about Cursed (to me anyway) is their incorporation of violent imagery into personal and socio-political songs. While most of the crust and sludge that no doubt inspired them is obviously more interested in content than aesthetic, Cursed have created a hybrid of stylistic, innovative music with thought-provoking content, the whole of which is greater than its parts. This record could still be enjoyable if one just listened to the music or as a collection of poems, but the combination of the two is a tour de force of restrained rage.
For Two, Cursed even adds a few tricks to their repertoire. The slow piano drone of "Two" creates a haunting segue between the album's first half and its second. The groove-based "Model Home Invasion" showcases both the clearest delivery of Chris Colohan's insightful lyrics and the clearest indication that Cursed's songwriting capabilities stretch beyond what they've revealed thus far. The one-two punch of that track combined with "Hell Comes Home," easily the disc's most powerful track, both lyrically and musically, could serve as the most effective musical argument for this band's quality.
Bottom Line: I love this band and this record. I could search for a complaint or think about who might not care for it, but quite frankly Cursed is the sort of band with something more to offer than the average hardcore/punk/metal/whatever outfit and I'd rather not do them that disservice. Two is intelligent, distinctive and incredibly powerful. This is undoubtedly going to be the thinking man's punk rock record of 2005.
Track Listing:
01. Intro / Fatalist
02. Reparations
03. R.I.P.
04. Head of the Baptist MP3
05. The Void
06. Two
07. Old Money
08. clocked In, Punched Out
09. Model Home Invasion
10. Hell Comes Home
11. Outro
Here's the Lambgoat review:
Cursed
2005
Goodfellow Records
OUR RATING - 9 /10 (6494 views)
comments (29) [add]
I am of the honest opinion that Cursed may very well be one of the only punk rock bands that really matter right now. Their blend of thrashy punk and sludge grew from the ashes of The Swarm, Ruination and Left For Dead, and with the release of their second album, Two, they have honed their distinctly evil sound to a jagged point. The ten songs that comprise Two showcase the refinement of the uniquely savage style that was so impressive on their Deathwish Inc. debut, One. While the relative simplicity of their musical approach and the grittiness of their production might turn off certain listeners, there is more than enough great music on this record to appease the harshest critic.
After the album's brief but fitting introduction, Cursed launches into a series of songs that, while raw on the surface, are expertly written and executed. Each of these hardcore gems is complemented with some of the most darkly intelligent lyrics I've heard since American Nightmare's first record. The one thing that stands out above all the other fine points of this record is the guitar riffs. Despite the lines themselves often bearing slight resemblance to other artists, as in the seemingly Misfits-inspired opening to "Reparations" or the Black Sabbath-esque "Model Home Invasion," their implementation is pure gold. Back all this up with a rhythm section that resembles a steam roller more than drum and bass, and the end product is highly enjoyable.
One of the most fascinating things about Cursed (to me anyway) is their incorporation of violent imagery into personal and socio-political songs. While most of the crust and sludge that no doubt inspired them is obviously more interested in content than aesthetic, Cursed have created a hybrid of stylistic, innovative music with thought-provoking content, the whole of which is greater than its parts. This record could still be enjoyable if one just listened to the music or as a collection of poems, but the combination of the two is a tour de force of restrained rage.
For Two, Cursed even adds a few tricks to their repertoire. The slow piano drone of "Two" creates a haunting segue between the album's first half and its second. The groove-based "Model Home Invasion" showcases both the clearest delivery of Chris Colohan's insightful lyrics and the clearest indication that Cursed's songwriting capabilities stretch beyond what they've revealed thus far. The one-two punch of that track combined with "Hell Comes Home," easily the disc's most powerful track, both lyrically and musically, could serve as the most effective musical argument for this band's quality.
Bottom Line: I love this band and this record. I could search for a complaint or think about who might not care for it, but quite frankly Cursed is the sort of band with something more to offer than the average hardcore/punk/metal/whatever outfit and I'd rather not do them that disservice. Two is intelligent, distinctive and incredibly powerful. This is undoubtedly going to be the thinking man's punk rock record of 2005.
Track Listing:
01. Intro / Fatalist
02. Reparations
03. R.I.P.
04. Head of the Baptist MP3
05. The Void
06. Two
07. Old Money
08. clocked In, Punched Out
09. Model Home Invasion
10. Hell Comes Home
11. Outro
