Albums•November 29, 2011•20,024 views

Blacklisted Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God

01. Stations 02. Touch Test 03. I Am Weighing Me Down 04. Always 05. Memory Layne 06. Circuit Breaker 07. Matrimony 08. Self Explosive 09. Burning Monk 10. Canonized 11. Wish

2008 Deathwish Inc.

Our score 7

by Cory

4/8/2008

Since their inception, Philadelphia's Blacklisted have been as plagued by line-up problems (and the occassional heart attack) as they have been blessed by the success of their increasingly high profile releases. They've ascended to the ranks of the hardcore elite relatively quickly and to be honest, I've never really found myself drawn into one of their releases until now. Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God represents the first step the band has taken that can't be considered "playing it safe" musically. Where their previous releases were solid hardcore records, their latest explores much more dynamic and varied song structures. George Hirsch's lyrics may be similarly themed but his vocals have gained quite a bit of character. Despite a few minor stumbles along the way, Blacklisted have crafted a record that transcends hardcore and should increase the band's fanbase quite a bit. Disc opener "Stations" might not suggest a major shift in the band's style but even in this fairly formulaic hardcore track, the flanged feedbacking guitar adds a texture to the band's sound that I had never heard before. Lines like the track's final sentence "I feel hopeless when I just wish I could feel a little less" abound on the disc, taking a page from the angry/sensitive hardcore rulebook of Wes Eisold that has been pored over for the last decade or so. Fortunately though, the band has moved out from underneath American Nightmare and the Suicide File's musical shadow. While the trajectory they're taking might seem similar to that of Modern Life Is War, the band has their own distinct style and sound. Chunky, Helmet-esque riffs sneak into more than one of the disc's tracks and are a universally welcome addition to the band's bag of tricks. "Canonized" starts off with a strong thrash-inspired crossover guitar line and there are similar moments scattered throughout the disc. Hell, there are even parts of the track "Always" that sound like vintage Nirvana. Fans of the band's similarly titled last EP Peace on Earth, War on Stage will recognize the tracks "Canonized" and "Memory Layne" from that release, although they've each received a minor overhaul. The disc's centerpiece is the moderately indulgent and (at times) frustratingly meandering "Circuit Breaker," a track that unfortunately doesn't work quite as well as the rest of the disc. If most of these tracks suggest that Blacklisted can reach beyond hardcore, this one proves that they're better off building upon it rather than throwing it out completely. Thankfully, when "Matrimony" kicks in, things pick back up and by the time Hirsch's uncharacteristically satanic shriek hits halfway through the song, all is forgiven. The disc's second foray into utter slowness is the groove-oriented hardcore of the disc's closer "Wish." While it might not be particularly offensive, it's the kind of thing that's been done before better. Add to that an awkward line invoking indie rock superstar Cat Power and this one just didn't work for me. It's not awful but the disc could definitely have ended stronger. While none of Blacklisted's previous releases were lacking in the production department, Kurt Ballou strikes yet again, making another band sound better than ever. At this point, he's got to have a line a mile long of bands that would kill to work with him because nearly everything he touches turns to gold. In Blacklisted's case, the extra weight added a thick layer of grime that Jim Seigel's work on their previous record didn't have. It fits their new direction, as do the occassional segues between songs. Bottom Line: Despite their relatively limited discography (this is only their second proper album), Blacklisted have developed quite a following. While this is their first release that seems to justify that following, it will be interesting to see how their fanbase reacts to something this ambitious. Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God is a great record and definitely one of the best hardcore releases in recent memory. It's not a perfect record, but it's definitely worth checking out.

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emilio_ 4/8/2008 9:23:53 PM

vocalist is one of the nicest and most genuine dudes i have ever met. i shared a much needed clove with him afterwards.

Blacklisted Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God

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