The Minor Times Summer of Wolves
Prosthetic Records 6561910051-2 June 26, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Combine the forward-thinking natures of the defunct Botch and reunited Coalesce, with a few properties of fellow post-hardcore act and labelmates The Esoteric, and you have the basic premise of Summer of Wolves the third outing from Pennsylvanias The Minor Times. Occasionally scatterbrained and uneven, the follow-up to full-length debut Making Enemies is a mixed bag that will, and arguably should, play second fiddle to other 2007 Prosthetic records from the likes of Beneath the Massacre, Through the Eyes of the Dead, and Yakuza.
Even so, Summer of Wolves is still a semi-rewarding listen. From the spaciousness of + + +, with its The Esoteric-esque melodies also found in the compelling This Is a Fine Life Youve Made for Yourself, to the mammoth riffs of Casket City Lights to the rumbling bass lines and choir portions of the 8.5-minute This Is the Blues to mid-paced quickie Fire Spitter, The Minor Times are gripping during tunes that keep a listener on their toes and/or captivate via arresting passages. There are a few drab ones that fail to leave much of a lasting impression, though, due to sameness as a result of lack of tempo variation, innovation, etc., and this list includes Van Zant, Ladder Devils, Blackhole Living, among others. Also of note is the sweet-ass inlay, which is peppered with wolf-laden, collage artwork. Lyrics? Youll find those under the clear CD tray arranged into one large block of text. Ive never cared for that type of layout either, but at least its better than not having the lyrics at all.
Its apparent that The Minor Times have some growing to do, but regarding their current release, Summer of Wolves is a decent album that has its share of studs and duds. Perhaps the next one will showcase more focused songwriting. If pressed, however, Id have no choice but to relegate them to the second tier of the Prosthetic roster.
Official The Minor Times Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
Prosthetic Records 6561910051-2 June 26, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Combine the forward-thinking natures of the defunct Botch and reunited Coalesce, with a few properties of fellow post-hardcore act and labelmates The Esoteric, and you have the basic premise of Summer of Wolves the third outing from Pennsylvanias The Minor Times. Occasionally scatterbrained and uneven, the follow-up to full-length debut Making Enemies is a mixed bag that will, and arguably should, play second fiddle to other 2007 Prosthetic records from the likes of Beneath the Massacre, Through the Eyes of the Dead, and Yakuza.
Even so, Summer of Wolves is still a semi-rewarding listen. From the spaciousness of + + +, with its The Esoteric-esque melodies also found in the compelling This Is a Fine Life Youve Made for Yourself, to the mammoth riffs of Casket City Lights to the rumbling bass lines and choir portions of the 8.5-minute This Is the Blues to mid-paced quickie Fire Spitter, The Minor Times are gripping during tunes that keep a listener on their toes and/or captivate via arresting passages. There are a few drab ones that fail to leave much of a lasting impression, though, due to sameness as a result of lack of tempo variation, innovation, etc., and this list includes Van Zant, Ladder Devils, Blackhole Living, among others. Also of note is the sweet-ass inlay, which is peppered with wolf-laden, collage artwork. Lyrics? Youll find those under the clear CD tray arranged into one large block of text. Ive never cared for that type of layout either, but at least its better than not having the lyrics at all.
Its apparent that The Minor Times have some growing to do, but regarding their current release, Summer of Wolves is a decent album that has its share of studs and duds. Perhaps the next one will showcase more focused songwriting. If pressed, however, Id have no choice but to relegate them to the second tier of the Prosthetic roster.
Official The Minor Times Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
