Foreknown Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors
Blood & Ink Records BIR1010 2005
By Jason Jordan
If I was part of a metalcore band, and knew our sound was going to be categorized as such, then I would make some drastic changes before unveiling my hard work to the public. Fact is, there is an overabundance of metalcore acts floundering around in the metal sea, and Foreknown unfortunately just arent able to usurp subgenre heavyweights such as Unearth, As I Lay Dying, and Zao.
Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors is a safe listen. Its not annoying in the least, the musicianship suffices, and hints of quality arise here and there. In the Beginning made me think that the group had a trashy, awkward sound, which is ostensibly true; it seems as if theyre offbeat in places, and sloppy in others. I do, however, like all that transpires in This Aint No Summer Vacation (yeah, the song titles need revamping). The double-bass rhythms mesh with the guitar riffing while the vocalist spews his ideologies. Then, an Underoath-esque moment occurs where clean, spoken vox enter the scene. The aforementioned composition is perhaps the best exemplification of metalcore proficiency that Foreknown have to offer. Weapon of Choice is cool, but Speechless being overly processed is a waste. Surfing through other choices on the record like The Barrel of a Gun, Tonight the Ghosts They Dance, and Voted Most Likely to Succeed will most assuredly yield similar results. Perplexing is No Guns, No Roses, Just Axl because it lifts off the ground with a soundclip from Field of Dreams, and the lyrical content speaks nothing of Guns N Roses. WTF? Oh well, I suppose I just dont get it.
I bet that Foreknowns debut in Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors will be forgotten almost as fast as the groups moniker. In spite of my criticisms, the artwork/layout is top-notch, and I could easily select likeable excerpts from said album. In the long run, though, I couldnt get excited enough about Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors to give it more than a halfhearted, backhanded recommendation.
7/10
Official Foreknown Website
Official Blood & Ink Records Website
Blood & Ink Records BIR1010 2005
By Jason Jordan
If I was part of a metalcore band, and knew our sound was going to be categorized as such, then I would make some drastic changes before unveiling my hard work to the public. Fact is, there is an overabundance of metalcore acts floundering around in the metal sea, and Foreknown unfortunately just arent able to usurp subgenre heavyweights such as Unearth, As I Lay Dying, and Zao.
Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors is a safe listen. Its not annoying in the least, the musicianship suffices, and hints of quality arise here and there. In the Beginning made me think that the group had a trashy, awkward sound, which is ostensibly true; it seems as if theyre offbeat in places, and sloppy in others. I do, however, like all that transpires in This Aint No Summer Vacation (yeah, the song titles need revamping). The double-bass rhythms mesh with the guitar riffing while the vocalist spews his ideologies. Then, an Underoath-esque moment occurs where clean, spoken vox enter the scene. The aforementioned composition is perhaps the best exemplification of metalcore proficiency that Foreknown have to offer. Weapon of Choice is cool, but Speechless being overly processed is a waste. Surfing through other choices on the record like The Barrel of a Gun, Tonight the Ghosts They Dance, and Voted Most Likely to Succeed will most assuredly yield similar results. Perplexing is No Guns, No Roses, Just Axl because it lifts off the ground with a soundclip from Field of Dreams, and the lyrical content speaks nothing of Guns N Roses. WTF? Oh well, I suppose I just dont get it.
I bet that Foreknowns debut in Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors will be forgotten almost as fast as the groups moniker. In spite of my criticisms, the artwork/layout is top-notch, and I could easily select likeable excerpts from said album. In the long run, though, I couldnt get excited enough about Calm Seas Dont Make Sailors to give it more than a halfhearted, backhanded recommendation.
7/10
Official Foreknown Website
Official Blood & Ink Records Website
