Mad Caddies-Songs in the Key of Eh
(Fat Wreck Chords, 2004)

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve seen the Mad Caddies a few times live and I find the band is actually much stronger in a live setting. The albums have all been good, but the music just comes alive so much more in a live environment. I think that could almost be said for any ska or ska influenced music. It just makes more sense in a live setting. It’s more intimate and just works a lot more.

Despite a few sour notes, this is a great sounding live album. The songs sound quite similar to the records with the odd dash of experimenting, mainly just be emphasizing certain parts or playing things longer. One problem that the band has on record that seems to be even present live is a fairly lacking guitar tone. It’s almost like it takes a back seat to the other instruments, which just isn’t a very good idea in my mind. The band does use horns but it is ultimately the guitars that drive this band because there are much more so a punk band then a straight up ska band. One of the biggest surprises was that they actually played their pirate song Weird Beard. It’s a silly song, but it’s one of my favorite songs from the Rock the Plank album. All in all the band plays a pretty varied set that pulls tracks from each of their studio albums. Chances are at least a few of your favorite songs will be included.

I would have preferred that this was on DVD because live albums are lacking that visual connection, but as a live album it definitely stands above average. The band’s playing is tight, energetic and really comes across well live. Fans of the band definitely will want to add this to complete their Mad Caddies collection.

Toxic Bonkers-Seeds of Cruelty
(Selfmadegod Records, 2004)

I was initially expecting this to be blazing grindcore, but this is actually must more mid-tempo then one would have expected. They remind me just a little bit of Brutal Truth, but I think one of the main influences on this band might have been early Bolt Thrower. They have a similar vibe, but Toxic Bonkers is much more hardcore based. A lot of the riffs almost have a NYHC type sound to them, but much heavier in a more death metal style.

While this is mid-tempo, there definitely are some fast sections. Each song has at least a few riffs that blaze by at a more hardcore like tempo with riffs that sort of remind me of Mentally Murdered era Napalm Death or possibly even Phobia. Anyway you boil it down, these guys write some very cool riffs that are both heavy and memorable. They don’t get bogged down trying to be technical, everything is straight to the point and that’s why this is an effective album.

I was actually a bit surprised by how good this album sounds. The guitar tone is very thick and really helps nail down some of the more rhythmic riffing. A bit more bass in the mix would have possibly helped thicken up the guitar even more, but it doesn’t hurt the overall sound. I’m a big fan of the drum sound on this album. The snare especially has a lot of resonance and is very easy to hear in the mix. The sound of the album actually reminds me a lot of Phobia’s album. The bands are also a bit similar, but Toxic Bonkers has no blasting at all really.

This isn’t what I would expect from this label and that is probably why this album stands out so much. Fans of Brutal Truth, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, or Phobia will definitely be able to get into this. Just don’t expect to be pulverized by blast beats because this isn’t an extremely fast album.

The Hostage Heart-Where There is Despair; Hope
(Five Point Records, 2004)

This is a cd that does give me hope. It gives me hope that other bands will follow the lead of The Hostage Heart and make something passionate in the metalcore genre. The genre is becoming so overpopulated with bands trying to play what is in style. The Hostage Heart don’t have any clean vocals, any safe breakdown riffs and you certainly won’t find any Swedish style melody here. This is heavy, chaotic and truth be told, one hell of an album.

Basically these guys rest somewhere in between Dillinger Escape Plan and Coalesce. They have insane riffs and odd time signatures, but they also have rolling riffs and slower tempos that bring to mind vintage Coalesce. The vocals are insane shouts matched with guttural roars. It’s the perfect complement to the insane nature of the bands sound. And trust me, this band is insane. There is hardly ever any let up. Even the slower riffs manage to have an incredible sense of urgency. You can tell that they feel every single not that they are playing. This is inspired.

Should The Hostage Heart be a name that we hear far more of in the future? You bet your ass it is. This is an incredible debut release and I can’t even begin to put into words how excited I am to see where this band goes in the future. These six songs alone reinvigorate my interest in mathcore/metalcore. If these guys don’t win you over within the first 10 seconds of the opening song, then there is something wrong with you my friends. This simply put, is maniacal and inspired heavy music. Forget about the core sub genres, this boils down to one thing, amazing music.

A Thorn For Every Heart-Things Aren’t So Beautiful Now
(Kickball Records, 2004)

I hate to say that this is a band that fits the times, but A Thorn For Every Heart really does fit into the current musical climate. They are incredibly melodic rock with harsh backup screams and excellent musicianship and songwriting. Are they doing anything new? Not really. But sometimes originality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That said, they aren’t an exact copy of any band, so they aren’t treading on anyone’s toes. It comes down to the fact that this is an excellent rock record.

This is a style that would be very easy to resort to the standards of the genre. But these guys really manage to just write good songs. There are parts that may make you think of another band, but for the most part there are some pretty unique ideas at work. The vocal patterns in particular are really well put together and the dynamite vocal performance really helps them bang the point across. I like the fact that they have kept the screaming to somewhat a minimum. They are mainly used to emphasize certain patterns or as back ground vocals. There are also a few surprising moments when they turn down the guitars and have violins or piano to great effect. It’s a simple thing that comes back to the point that these guys are just great songwriters.

You’d really have to kick me to get a comparison out of me. I somewhat hear a bit of Taking Back Sunday, or Underoath. But it’s more a similarity in style, more so then in actual sound. I do actually hear a bit of a Thursday influence coming in from time to time. But like I said before, these guys are playing a style that may be a bit familiar, but they don’t really use any of the cliches and they don’t mimic any of the bigger bands.

I could really see this band making a name for themselves. For this being a debut album the quality of the songwriting is just mind boggling. For those of you that enjoy the current style of melodic rock/hardcore this is definitely a band that would fit well in your collection. Don’t write them off because of their style though, this is an excellent album any way you look at it.