Coliseum Coliseum

Damn has Level Plane been on a tear lately. Much of what makes Coliseum a noteworthy investment is their DIY ethics, purveyed by Black Cross guitarist Ryan Patterson with their gritty rock/punk sound, with their "fuck you" lyrics. With the Black Cross flag boasting numerous corners of this record, you know damn well what's in store. Vocally, I would have to lean more towards Coliseum than with Black Cross, but lyrically I would probably choose Black Cross. Musically, I enjoy both for what each brings to the table. Both bands have acquired amazing recordings. Coliseum has achieved such a effective sound that it's hard to believe that they recorded on an 8-track for $800. Their under-produced sound works so well with their style it almost hurts. What you have here is twelve blistering punk anthems. So gritty you can actually feel the scabbing form during a listening session with Coliseum.The only real notable complaint I have is the way song five sounds in comparison to its predecessor and successor. It sounds quiet and my guess is that it was from a different recording session, or some schematic error along the way. Otherwise, Coliseum's debut is flawless, both in sound and delivery. To my ear, Coliseum tend to play faster than Black Cross but musically both bands could easily garner a fairly close comparison with Coliseum's speed factor and better vocals being the only points of relevant difference. Basically, if you like Black Cross you'll like Coliseum. If you like Motorhead and are into hardcore as well, you’ll like Coliseum. If you like gritty punk rock records or if your record collection consists of mainly vinyl, you will like Coliseum. The press sheet describes their sound as "the intersection between early 'd-beat' British punk and rock infused American hardcore." I’d be hard pressed to describe it any better. Bottom Line: Buy this record -- if just to be the first kid on your block for bragging rights. Definitely the best hardcore influenced record I have heard thus far in 2004. It seems these days that good bands just put out a record and break up immediately after. Hopefully they will last long enough to not be another tragic one-record only band. Congrats guys for this accomplished debut effort, and once again, props to Level Plane as well.