http://www.mediafire.com/?7ab9x07qsdd28fm
why are you scared of standing up?
Rebirth! Rebirth! “Frozen World”; The new release from Remainder to be this year’s “Summer Soundtrack” Having played with this band once before and once again soon after their east coast romp this summer to states as far as the Carolinas, I have indeed experienced the work, dedication and effort this band has put into their song making. Hitting quite the high point, this album is sure to spark for Remainder and all of it’s members. Indeed a ways from “Set Aside Your Fears”, (the group’s first album) “The Frozen World Thawed” offers everything from surprises to true emotion felt through the works of each musician. James Kelly and Kevin Smith, keeping their same instruments for the new group and former members of the young and ambitious Rivalries, formed the band in 2009 under the temporary name C’est La Guerre and then sticking with the new name Remainder in 2010. Under both names there have been 3 releases and with the new album making it the 4th in circulation and on bandcamp, this proves to be their pinnacle success. With Chris Childs (Pro BMX Rider for DK Bike Company) on vocals and Sean Cody on Bass both hailing from Attleboro Mass., the band is complete and has a reputation that will stand in the likes of Sleepytime Trio, Mineral and Refused with the new album’s release. Chris’s screams are unearthly throughout the album. They have everything in a band and this album proves it. Their sound is uncanny and hard to match, which is very hard to do these days. Anyone can find the generic pop/punk sound in a Best Buy bargain bin, and be satisfied with fake lyrics and beats that loop just for the money. That sound is everywhere now and hard to escape. But I’ll let everyone know that the escape is right here in the hands of Remainder and it is real. So very real. The opening track brings out Chris’ screams very well and proves that this album will have potential from the buildup twenty five seconds in. With eerie feedback and ending in a crash “That Which Was Left Beating” is quite the opener for the full length. Moving right along to “Still Restless, Still Tired”, the rhythm section writes a head nodding beat with sweet riffage by Kelly and makes the track flow with Smith’s rolling motions on the toms. Fooling around with the vocal tracks on the album gives Chris a megaphone kind of sound about halfway through and adds a nice touch. The band ends on a cliffhanger for this one. For “The Slow breaking of Morning” Chris’s lyrics really speak with lines like “This throat is a dead coffin for dead words that never amount” to “To hear a voice of comfort for Joy loves when I laugh” gives originality to the tune. Very verbose and heartfelt, this track is exciting and takes many turns from the classic soft to loud technique that Nirvana used on Nevermind, however Remainder takes it to a much more professional feel throughout the song. With the redone version of “Balcony Scene” from “C’est La Guerre” it offers a much heavier feel than before on the self titled e.p. by C’est la Guerre, and gives a chance for the whole band to sing back-up and very well I might add. It is indeed a finished piece and quite the difference from before. With the Title track sounding like a lost cut from “Me and Mr. Ray” by Miracle Legion from the start, this songs gives a touch of Harmonica to add this really cool atmosphere and warmth before the pieces of the song stops one by one instrumentally leaving Chris muttering to end the song on a quiet note. “I Exist In A Pre-Dawn World” rips into some gnarly licks by James and is very thrashy in it’s feel giving the track diversity from the sound heard before in previous tracks. Some say it is the best cut on the album and it does justice very remarkably. The tempo change offers a whole new feel, leading into a sound clip from the film “The Jacket” by John Maybury to end the song and leaving the listener goose bumps. “Barren Trees”, being my personal favorite off the full length, sounds like the Remainder I jammed to from the original “Lantern” E.P. The wicked long build up is so magnificent that when it rips into what it creates, the feedback almost sounds like that of a keyboard. A remarkable step from “Lantern” and a powerful song in all of it’s glory. From here on out Kevin really digs on the snare rolls for the rest of the album. Opening with a snare role “Forgetful Eyes” gets Kevin to rock out on blast beats and hugging the barrier of the song with tom rolls and careful use of the bell on his symbols. With screaming from James’s guitar and death-like vocals near the middle this tune stands out as a violent cut from the band. To make the song “Clear The Earth/ My Exit To Hide In” really move the snare roll is brought back to give the song motions through a wave of sound. Here, Kevin uses the rim to keep the beat as if saying that almost in every song on the full length has a moment of quiet and each one can be said differently. Let Smitty’s hands do the talking for this one guys, it rules on the end for percussion. To wrap it up with feedback, the sounds of a guitar in reverse and Chris’ shouts as if her were in the back of the room gives it edge, overall. Sean’s bass playing on this one really stands out and is very well composed on the final track “Rust In My Lungs”. Sounding muffled at first this track send you out on a mellow mood and circles the album complete and sending the message to not give up on life so easy and “…not let the night crash over you”. The classic fade out is used for the send off. The potential of this band is unearthly in measure and again (I will never stop saying and agreeing with this statement) is truly original and not sounding like anyone else I have ever heard before. This band is ready for whatever lies ahead and the proof is right here on this very record. Every band member is friendly, insane, ready for the inevitable and relentless in the way they play. They are the nicest kids I’ve known over the past year and a half that I have known them. To be in their presence is such an honor and to not only have one but two copies of the new album in my possession shows that this band has something no other can match. True Feeling. This review is based on what the reviewer thought and felt. If you do not agree with anything I have said, fight me. Pat Maloney.
mostly around
i see them drown
drunk from the air
tangled in hair
mostly around
i see them drown
drunk from the sound
wearing their crowns
