Albert React Confluence And Scrapes

So a few years back, hardcore labels caught on to a fact that they had apparently been oblivious to for decades: hardcore kids often listen to other types of music. Since then, it seems like every label either has a new band or side project that plays something intended to appeal to the hardcore and metal community's kinder, gentler side. Albert React is Eulogy Recordings' contribution to this phenomenon. Their 2003 album "Confluence & Scrapes" has just enough screaming to keep it from sounding "mainstream" as well as lots of Thursday-esque melodies and song structures. In fact, someone could probably have told me this was the new Thursday and I would have believed them. Like most of their lite-core kindred, they claim to be heavily influenced by At The Drive In and Radiohead. After listening to this record I think it's safe to say that the were probably just as heavily influenced by scenesters claiming these bands as influences. While they have certainly lifted enough bass riffs and guitar parts from these two bands, ("Vanilla" is a rather obvious combination of the two) they don't seem to be influenced by either bands' pioneering spirit or creative flair. The songs on this disc are so predictable and formulaic that it seems like the band's so-called influences would cringe at being named as such. It is odd then, that I can honestly see this band replacing the hole left in the "scene" by Thursday's ascension into major label fame. Albert React could easily sit alongside Coheed and Cambria or Brand New or whatever other poppy "post-hardcore" band that managed to sell records based on indie cred. The production here is clear enough to do great on MTV2 and the melodies are so catchy that they will no doubt permeate the mixtapes that shaggy-haired teens give their trucker hat-wearing girlfriends on their one-month anniversary. The packaging looks enough like what Jade Tree was doing three years ago that a kid in his local record store might pick it up based on the Eulogy name and the picture of a bird on the cover. Bottom Line: Albert React could very well be as successful as all the bands mentioned and are arguably as deserving. After all, they do write catchy pop songs with screaming in them, perfect for any teenage hardcore kid's make-out sessions. The fact is that for all my complaints about this record, I can't definitively put my finger on what's wrong with it, but I can say without hesitation that I would be harder pressed to find what was right.