Youthanize – The Color of Violence

colorofviol

This band lost most of their members to the hardcore group From First to Last. After a few years’ hiatus, the two remaining members began writing songs again and putting them up on the band’s MySpace page. Soon after, the demand for an album was high and the duo promised that they would bring one. I am here to tell you that it was worth the two-year wait. This may be one of the most well-crafted screamo/grind/rock albums of the year. Every song has heavy guitars, pounding drums, deranged screams, and something catchy enough to make each song stand on its own. The lyrics are mostly literal and deal with unpopular political standpoints (example: Recycling is wasteful.) This album never loses its intensity, which is rare for the genre. Usually bands like this have some sad song in the middle with a slow tempo and a singing voice so injured sounding that you can actually see the emo comb over. The only time this album slows down is in the hidden song, and even that one feels just like another heavy track. All in all, this album sounds like only listening to the really fast and scream-y songs by the Blood Brothers and Showbread. (Epitaph, www.epitaph.com) Paul Nordin