HASTE - The Mercury Lift
1. With All The Pride And Dignity Of A Drowning Swimmer
2. Evidence Of Wasted Ink
3. The Rescued
4. Houdini Has Lost His Key
5. The Death Of Stars Like The Sun
6. Room One Thirty Four
7. Aspartame
8. A God Reclaims His Throne
9. Stutter
10. Force Is Always An Option
11. Revenge Tastes Like Blood And Broken Teeth
Label: Century Media Records/Abacus Recordings
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://www.hastemusic.com/
GRADE:
9.5/10
HASTE are one of those bands for me, not too hardcore, yet not too metal either. They're new, but not nu, if you get my drift. Kinda like their labelmates YAKUZA and SHADOWS FALL. They sound somewhat like what you might hear on radio these days, but a zillion times better and much more authentic. They don't take a contrived approach like many of their contemporaries. While I really enjoyed their last release When Reason Sleeps, nothing on that prepared me to be blown away like I am with The Mercury Lift.
Lead off track "With All the Pride and Dignity Of a Drowning Swimmer" is superb, the brutal vocals combined with the clean vocals, while done before, just sounds perfected here. There is absolutely no reason this shouldn't be all over the radio right now, hell, they even have two vocalists, like LINKIN PARK. The only difference being that these guys rock, while LP sucks horse cocks! Second song "Evidence Of Wasted Ink" follows and from the start keeps the mood focused and does what a second song is supposed to do, keep your attention and pull you deeper in. Those melodies are just so damn sugary! "The Rescued,"which features CODESEVEN vocalist Jeff Jenkins, is heavier vocally and bombards with some cool deep low end bass tones. "Houdini Has Lost His Key" is one of my favorite tracks, that clean vocal melody for the verse sticks to me like a freshly spitout piece of chewing gum. Vocalists Kelly Reaves and Chris Mosley really deserve a pat on the back for this one, folks. "The Death Of Stars Like the Sun" has been the sort of lead off single, and it really fuckin' smokes. HASTE to me is what a "rock" band should sound like in today's music world and if there was any logic in the biz, they would tour with someone like the DEFTONES. What a package that show would make.
"Room One Thirty Four" is another rocker that stays pretty clean vocally, but some really tight grooves are lain down by the rest of the band. Easily radio hit potential, I don't understand why this band hasn't broke out yet. Whoever they're paying for promotion, give me the money, I'll break this band wide open. The last two minutes of the song are an attack on the senses before coming back around to that luscious clean vocal. "Aspartame" is a short but oh so sweet number, a feel good song, not one of my faves, but ok. LAMB OF GOD vocalist D. Randall Blythe guests on "A God Reclaims His Throne" and yes, you guessed it, very heavy and all over the place, a definitive moment on the disc. "Stutter" is yet another in the long list of rockers on The Mercury Lift, it just doesn't stop. Reaves and Mosley really, really stand out as vocalists on this one. And what kind of drug is the rest of the band on? Their grooves and the tightness are just sick! "Force Is Always An Option" is more of the same, in terms of excellent songwriting, the abrasive vocals being combined with discordant riffs. The title of the final track alone should give you an indication of how this one's gonna go. "Revenge Tastes Like Blood And Broken Teeth" is sure to be a moshpit favorite, the drop-tuned aggressive nature of the material should definitely prove effective in a live setting.
Songwriting, production, performance, all are top notch and pristine. I can't comment on the packaging as their label only sent me a cardboard sleeve of a promo, better luck next time, I guess! Overall, a great cd and I have a feeling that this band, with the proper promotion and budget, is destined for bigger and better things. Keep an eye out.
PJ
1. With All The Pride And Dignity Of A Drowning Swimmer
2. Evidence Of Wasted Ink
3. The Rescued
4. Houdini Has Lost His Key
5. The Death Of Stars Like The Sun
6. Room One Thirty Four
7. Aspartame
8. A God Reclaims His Throne
9. Stutter
10. Force Is Always An Option
11. Revenge Tastes Like Blood And Broken Teeth
Label: Century Media Records/Abacus Recordings
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://www.hastemusic.com/
GRADE:
9.5/10
HASTE are one of those bands for me, not too hardcore, yet not too metal either. They're new, but not nu, if you get my drift. Kinda like their labelmates YAKUZA and SHADOWS FALL. They sound somewhat like what you might hear on radio these days, but a zillion times better and much more authentic. They don't take a contrived approach like many of their contemporaries. While I really enjoyed their last release When Reason Sleeps, nothing on that prepared me to be blown away like I am with The Mercury Lift.
Lead off track "With All the Pride and Dignity Of a Drowning Swimmer" is superb, the brutal vocals combined with the clean vocals, while done before, just sounds perfected here. There is absolutely no reason this shouldn't be all over the radio right now, hell, they even have two vocalists, like LINKIN PARK. The only difference being that these guys rock, while LP sucks horse cocks! Second song "Evidence Of Wasted Ink" follows and from the start keeps the mood focused and does what a second song is supposed to do, keep your attention and pull you deeper in. Those melodies are just so damn sugary! "The Rescued,"which features CODESEVEN vocalist Jeff Jenkins, is heavier vocally and bombards with some cool deep low end bass tones. "Houdini Has Lost His Key" is one of my favorite tracks, that clean vocal melody for the verse sticks to me like a freshly spitout piece of chewing gum. Vocalists Kelly Reaves and Chris Mosley really deserve a pat on the back for this one, folks. "The Death Of Stars Like the Sun" has been the sort of lead off single, and it really fuckin' smokes. HASTE to me is what a "rock" band should sound like in today's music world and if there was any logic in the biz, they would tour with someone like the DEFTONES. What a package that show would make.
"Room One Thirty Four" is another rocker that stays pretty clean vocally, but some really tight grooves are lain down by the rest of the band. Easily radio hit potential, I don't understand why this band hasn't broke out yet. Whoever they're paying for promotion, give me the money, I'll break this band wide open. The last two minutes of the song are an attack on the senses before coming back around to that luscious clean vocal. "Aspartame" is a short but oh so sweet number, a feel good song, not one of my faves, but ok. LAMB OF GOD vocalist D. Randall Blythe guests on "A God Reclaims His Throne" and yes, you guessed it, very heavy and all over the place, a definitive moment on the disc. "Stutter" is yet another in the long list of rockers on The Mercury Lift, it just doesn't stop. Reaves and Mosley really, really stand out as vocalists on this one. And what kind of drug is the rest of the band on? Their grooves and the tightness are just sick! "Force Is Always An Option" is more of the same, in terms of excellent songwriting, the abrasive vocals being combined with discordant riffs. The title of the final track alone should give you an indication of how this one's gonna go. "Revenge Tastes Like Blood And Broken Teeth" is sure to be a moshpit favorite, the drop-tuned aggressive nature of the material should definitely prove effective in a live setting.
Songwriting, production, performance, all are top notch and pristine. I can't comment on the packaging as their label only sent me a cardboard sleeve of a promo, better luck next time, I guess! Overall, a great cd and I have a feeling that this band, with the proper promotion and budget, is destined for bigger and better things. Keep an eye out.
PJ
