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01. Pax Romana
02. Scumbag
03. No Exit in the Sweatshop Inferno
04. The Art of the Glimpse
05. The Black Lodge
06. Boy's Life
07. Our Words Will Fail Us
08. Dirge of the Sea/Death on the Wings
2006 Emerald Moon Records
by Nick
11/19/2006
Narratives, the debut record by the Delaware foursome that answers to the name of My America Is Watching Tigers Die (insert generic 'why is it so long' witticism), is a great example of how a hardcore band can produce quality music that strays from the traditional straightforward style, yet doesn't rely on overbearing technical instrumentation to hook listeners. At no point on this disc was I ever blown away by the drumming or the guitar and bass work, but that's precisely the point: Narratives is a relatively simplistic, yet still interesting album that is a rather impressive debut for a young band.
MAIWTD is musically similar to a stripped down Breather Resist with a touch of Refused thrown into the mix at times. The tracks are driven by the omnipresent gritty bass lines, leaving the sole guitar to often layer on syncopated single note riffs and basic, but catchy melodies. While many bands focus on trying to pack in as many notes as possible to achieve that chaotic sound, MAIWTD focuses on varying the rhythm structures for their brand of hardcore. The vocalist sticks to a high-pitched scream, which is perfectly appropriate for the style of music, and since the disc is over in around 26 minutes, it doesn't have the chance to become annoyingly monotonous.
The first song, "Pax Romana" is a great mid-tempo opener, showcasing the coarse bass lines and the simple riffs that characterize the rest of the album. With the exception of the instrumental interlude "Boy's Life" and the slower closing track "Dirge of the Sea/Death on the Wings," MAIWTD doesn't really stray far from their successful musical formula. I would bet that if this album was another 20 minutes longer, it would start to lose the listener toward the end, but in its current dosage there really isn't any risk of dwindling listener interest. However, I must add that two tracks have completely unnecessary piano outros that are around a minute a piece. Although I can think of a few examples in which other metalcore and hardcore acts used piano intros/outros to their advantages (Fordirelifesake's "Dependant on Attention" comes to mind), I'm a strong believer that bands should shy away from this sort of idea. I always get the impression that while the band is in the studio, someone goes "Hey! Did you know Johnny can play the piano Let's throw it on the end of a song even though it doesn't fit at all!" And amidst all the group high-fiving, no one really realizes how bad of an idea it actually is.
Bottom Line: With Narratives, My America Is Watching Tigers Die combines relatively simplistic instrumentation, some heavy Breather Resist influence and a mouthful of a band name into a style of hardcore that won't blow you away, but it just might find a way onto your playlist. While old school hardcore diehards or tech addicts won't really find a whole lot here to whet their musical taste buds, this disc is a solid debut that should be received well by many.
14 comments
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cool_dude_
11/19/2006 11:07:41 PM
Great Review, perfect score. Check this out!
CuntSnot_
11/20/2006 1:13:13 PM
the band name makes me want to hate them...
Rikethink_
11/20/2006 3:16:28 PM
I hope "The Black Lodge" is a Twin Peaks reference...
Gluck_
11/21/2006 6:30:58 PM
While only a gay man would like this album, that being said since i am gay as well i give this 9/10
this is a great cd