Hawthorne Heights The Silence In Black And White

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Reviewed by: Rob McFeters   //   Published: 7/31/2004

I can’t exactly remember when it happened, but Victory Records, at some point, changed in a big way. When I was in high school, they released some of my favorite records of all time. I don’t think they are too many records that can top Bloodlet’s “Entheogen,” Deadguy’s “Fixation On A Coworker,” Integrity’s “Humanity Is The Devil,” or Snapcase’s “Steps.” I guess it’s fairly ironic that Victory is now (for the most part) releasing records that have become my least favorite thing about music.

Hawthorne Heights hail from Dayton, Ohio, and are Victory’s newest contribution to your local Hot Topic. I’m sure sometime soon (if it hasn’t happened already) every 17-year-old kid that is “heartbroken” will have a new favorite band, and it’s going to be because of this album. Honestly, I think Victory must have an assembly line in their warehouse, because Hawthorne Heights falls in perfect line with other Victory bands such as, Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, Count the Stars, and Spitalfield.

Well, with “The Silence in Black and White,” you get it all. A range of vocals, from Saves the Day-esque wails to the “hey we are still kind of heavy, because we can scream” scream. Look guys, if a pseudo punk band like Story of the Year gets on MTV, and throws a “hardcore” scream in their songs, then you know it’s fucking dead. Let it go. The guitar work here is completely predictable, because I knew when every clean “emo” part was coming up, and the formulaic “post-hardcore” breakdowns that have the same buildup. The lyrics on this record are slightly high-school-drama-class, but aren’t overly cheesy, which is good I suppose. The fact that the lyrics aren’t the worst I’ve ever read, and the production here is excellent, are the only two reasons this record doesn’t get a one out of ten.

Bottom Line: Give me a break, because it’s hard to come up with much of a review for an album that is so trite and bland. You’ve heard all of this before, and I’m sure you are sick of these cookie-cutter bands that are created for the purpose of sticking their faces in every Hot Topic, and on the Warped Tour. If you like “punk” bands like Taking Back Sunday, and Spitalfield, then maybe you’ll like Hawthorne Heights. If you already own this CD and are feeling let down, then it might make a good gift for your 11-year-old sister.

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