RuinerI would be shocked if you are reading this and have not yet been acquainted with this Baltimore, MD band. My first exposure to these guys was their 7" EP on Firestarter/Grave Mistake Records "What Could Possibly Go Right?". If you've read the review that I wrote for that album you'll already know that I am a fan of this band. Since that time the CD version was released by Riley over at 1917 Records. Actually, this album was supposed to be released on 1917 Records as "No Apologies". But the band and label decided it was best to part ways and obviously Bridge 9 stepped up to the plate and the album title was since changed to it's current form, which is pretty witty when you think about it.
There are 12 tracks of hardcore that is too heavy to be considered youth crew but isn't heavy enough to be considered metallic hardcore or metalcore. The songs are very bottom heavy sounding (in a good way) due to the exceptional use of the bass in the recording. Still present in their song writing is the use of melody and dissonant picking patterns. There are also the hardcore/punk influenced breakdowns that are used sparingly, which give them more oomph. Some songs are straight burners ("Bottom Line: Fuck You", which clocks out at :27), and other songs are a bit more developed utilizing all the weapons in the bands arsenal ("Kiss That Mother Fucker Good Night" which is the longest song of the bunch, clocking out over 3:30). There is also the obligatory instrumental (opening, title track) which is also used after the end of the last song, only this time played with a piano. The one flaw in their song writing from their EP has been rectified. No longer can you say it sounds like a new band from song to song. From start to finish this album is nothing but pure Ruiner.
As stated by Rob Sullivan in the opening of "Bottom Line: Fuck You"; "I gave up...on metaphors and acts of sarcastic wit". What he replaced the both with are straight to the point anthems about the consequences of fucking up in life, whether it be from broken relationships or self induced loneliness.
This was recorded at The Outpost by legend Jim Siegal, so you know this thing sounds good. I love the guitar tone, it's got great overdrive/distortion with plenty of brightness for those more dissonant melodic phrases. The bass tone is nasty as hell and uses a treble rich tone that stands out in the mix nicely. The drums sound great, love the pop on the snare. It's deep with just the right amount of snap. The vocal placement is stellar.
Following suit from their EP, the artwork direction treads another dark and eerie path. I'm loving the Edgar Allan Poe "Raven" feeling going on. The front cover that has the dark sky with the orange moon, with crows flying past as numerous bodies hang limply from tree branch nooses. The back of the booklet is essentially the same artwork used for the 7" "The Lives We Fear". I like the interior design of the booklet. There are 8 pages and each set of pages has the lyrics to 4 four songs with the other page used as a full page illustration. It seems the artwork goes backwards, starting off with the ladder leading up to the tree with the people hanging and as it gets towards the back, it shows a broken swing and then a little kid swinging on it.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Kiss That Mother Fucker Goodbye (I'm surprised they write the title as is on the back cover, on the Death Before Dishonor album they blanked out the fuck) and The Lives We Fear
Synopsis: Prepare to be let down? Anything but. The first couple of listens I wasn't sure how I felt about this release. I thought their EP had more urgency and passion in the song writing but I give this A LOT more spins and after awhile it started to grow on me. Now, I'm liking this more than the EP. I remember one of my problems with the EP is that while it had great songs, it lacked a certain continuity throughout, this album however, shows the band can write full length worth of songs and have them all ebb and flow into one another wonderfully.
Both songs listed as worthy of replay are available for listening over at their Myspace page, so check it out...Click Here