This is a criminally underrated band that, despite having an album on Victory Records, never quite got the attention they deserved. The debut EP (self-titled) remains to be one of my favorite albums from the era. The six short songs contain some of the most brutal riffs ever put to tape (yes, this was recorded analog at Mars Studio in Cleveland, OH).
The follow-up EP entitled The True Face Of Panic on Goodfellow Records was also a landmark in brutality for its time. The two EPs would later be re-released on the same disc entitled Glorified Dirt. This time around, however, their replacement vocalist Nate Johnson (Deadwater Drowning, Fit For An Autopsy) would be featured on a re-recorded version of the debut, self-titled EP. The True Face Of Panic tracks remained untouched from its original state. While this version is quite awesome in its own right ... I'm not too sure you can top a metalcore recording coming out of Mars Studio.
The full length album on Victory entitled Left In Kowloon contains most of the tracks you would hear the band playing live if you ever caught them in the small timeframe in which they actively toured. The release on Victory Records still puzzles me a bit as there is not anything remotely close to a "single" on the album. I suppose Victory did have a shred of credibility remaining in 2004.
The band would round out their career with a split release with Benumb. Once again featuring their latter vocalist, Nate Johnson, this release would only feature 4 tracks ... two of which were covers. The final release still slays anything else that was coming out during it's time frame yet left something to be desired in comparison to their other releases.
There is always hope in my mind that the band will return in some form or another as the band has never officially broken up. In fact, I convinced the band to come out to play the first installment of my fest (which totally bombed, sorry) in 2007. I have heard of low key performances taking place in their hometown and actually drove to see them in Syracuse in 2009 with Architect (insane show) so here's to hoping for new material to surface one day.
I love metalcore.
2 comments:
I was supposed to see POW at a house show in Detroit, but Brad Wharton apparently hit his head, and they were unable to play. Psyopus took their spot. I don't care for that band.
"Glorifed Dirt" (the 2000 version), "I'd Settle For Sleep" and "Black Den" are my some of my favorite songs across any kind of music. POW actually replaced Disembodied as my favorite metalcore band.
you had me at "Nate Johnson."-dat man is crazy,he makes me want to tear my underwear off and throw them at him.
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