The Faint, Norma Jean, Hawthorne Heights

Super Tuesday happened today. 8/5/08 has provided the world with the new Faint album Fascination, new Norma Jean album Vs The Anti Mother, and the new Hawthorne Heights Album Fragile Future.

Let us discuss in order of importance to me.


/cough
NEW FAINT CD EVERYONE THIS IS THE BIGGEST THING SINCE HDDVD (LAWL). But no really now, you know all those bands you listen to today? Yes you with your high top nikes and multi colored shirts you were for the hell of it. Back in the good old days before crap like Metro Station existed, there was (is) a band called The Faint. This band dare me say it, is one of the main reasons the current wave of electronic/rockish music is so big right now. They were writing songs about erections before you hit puberty. Point is, they (The Faint) now have a new album out that forcefully reminds all of us that they do what they do the best. It feel darker yet again much like Dance Macabre yet it has the hooks of Wet From Birth. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how you do things. Now, go Get Seduced.



A lot of bands these days 'scream', this isn't a new thing I am aware, but there is something about a lot of these new 'screaming' bands that just doesn't sit right. Thankfully one of our saviors is here in the new Norma Jean album, Norma Jean vs The Anti-Mother. Let me just say before anything else that there is a track on this album called Surrender Your Sons... that has a 100% chance of being co-written by one of my all time favorite frontmen, Chino from the oh so great band The Deftones. Moving on then, Anti-Mother is in a bit of an odd place. On one hand it doesn't really expand upon their last album (greatest.release.ever.) yet somehow it doesn't fall back on to O'God The Aftermath ether. Like the past two releases, traces of Bless the Martyr Kiss The Child are still present but something IS different about Anti-Mother. I've only had a chance to listen to it 4 times through so I've yet to have a sure finger to put on what the different thing is. I do know from reading the breading ground that is the ap.net forums that fans of all taste are confused as if they like it or not. I can not safely say that if you like Norma Jean you will like this and I can't say the opposite of that ether. What I can say however is ignore your first impression of Anti-Mother and listen to it more times regardless, there is something going on here and we need to find out what it is, because I am positive it's worth it.


Hawthorne Heights. Go ahead, curse under your breath about how I could like this band, press the back button on your browser, do what you need to do to 'stay cool'. This band gets so much crap for some reason that is beyond me. I suppose it could be the 13 year olds that populate some of their fan base. Maybe it's because they are still on the hype train that is Victory Records? Or maybe it's because they have for three releases provided many ear drums with solid songs that are easy to sing a long to? Haters can get out of here and keep your hordes of underground bands that stay unheard for good reason. Their newest, Fragile Future, is the first Hawthorne Heights album after the passing of guitarist Casey Calvert and the band has made something that I am sure would make him proud. Easily they best record they have made so far and something that is easily accessible to fans and new comers alike.

Enough of this, I have 2 hours before I leave to play soccer and I want to listen to all of these back to back 235265 times.


In honor of how fantastic today is, I will give you all a song from the new and then a song from the rather old. Progression my friends, it's a sweet tea that can be found all over. (all of this including fancy pictures is coming when i get done playing soccer. by the time i get back i expect you all to own these three cds)