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Welcome To Unbound Zine |
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| Album Review |
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Black Cross-Art Offensive
(Equal Vision, 2003)
This is one of the few albums that comes out every year that reminds me of why I got into hardcore music and makes me want to stick around to find out what the bands will do next. It’s not to say that Black Cross is far removed from anything we’ve heard before. It’s mainly a healthy dose of Black Flag mixed with some chaotic noise core riffs, but the formula works and this debut album is simply put, amazing.
The band has done a good job to make sure you won’t become bored before the end of the record rolls around. For starters the songs are varied and remain interesting for the duration of the 27-minute album. Which is another reason why you won’t become bored; there is absolutely no filler. The band slashes through the 12 songs and leaves very little room for a person to catch their breath. Even the pauses between songs have been kept to a minimum. It’s one pounding right after another.
The bands sound for the most part is fairly mid-tempo, with an almost rock n roll feel to a lot of the riffs. They throw in a few barnburners to break up the tempos though. If you aren’t ready for it, the first fast song will knock you flat on your ass. I wouldn’t mind if they had more fast songs, but then again it’s a nice change to find a slower hardcore band.
This album is hardcore perfection. Everything about it is amazing, from the layout to the production, it leaves you feeling very satisfied when the cd is finished spinning. Check out the interview in this issue to learn more about this amazing band.
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UN: I was curious to ask where you guys got the name from. It's a very interesting name but I have no idea where it comes from or what it means!
Eric: There is a book called the Ultimate Fakebook that teaches you chord changes and things you need to "fake" your way through the songs. We just straight ripped it off and haven't got sued yet.
UN: How did Initial Records come into the picture? I think they are the perfect home for Ultimate Fakebook? Are you guys happy with the work they do for the band?
E: Initial came to us after they heard the completed version of our last record. They were really excited about it, and put it out quickly, which we were looking for. The new EP, "Before We Spark," is our newest Initial release, and it's hot shit!
UN: Open Up and Say Awesome had been out for awhile now. Are you guys still happy with how the album turned out? Did it get a good response? I think the album name is brilliant!
E: Yeah, I think it turned out great. We made a couple of videos for songs on that record, and some of the songs have become big live staples in the RAWK show.
UN: When can we expect a full-length follow up to Open Up and Say Awesome? Anything written or planned yet? Will it be on Initial?
E: There is a lot of suff written so far, but nothing ready to go. We are perfectionists, so when it's ready, then we'll record it. There are a lot of different ideas so far.
UN: Do you guys think that the Weezer comparison is warranted? You guys have similarities, but you guys write better music then Weezer has in years. It seems like every band on Initial gets compared to Weezer!
E: We get Weezer comparisons for 2 reasons. 1. We write songs with melodies that rock, and so do they. 2. Both singers wear horn-rimmed glasses.
UN: Is being original important to you guys? I think it's somewhat hard to be original in rock music these days, so you should just pick what you like about your favorite bands and roll with it. If it comes out unique then even better! Do you think you guys stand out?
E: We definitely don't think about what bands we want to sound like. The music just comes out, and you try not to put too big a filter on it and just let it go. Usually our first instincts are the best way to go. We have definitely noticed that not many bands out there are doing what we are doing right now. I think we're pretty unique, yeah.
UN: Has the bands sound changed at all since your beginnings? Also, have your goals as a band changed at all over the years?
E: If anything, we've gotten heavier sounding as we go along from all the touring. But of course we are still striving to write the perfect pop song. We know what we want, but are also trying lots of different things, too. It's important to not get stale.
UN: I was curious to ask what the name of the EP is all about. What exactly is the photo on the cover of? Are you guys happy with how the EP turned out?
E: "Before We Spark" is how we feel. Underestimated, backed into a corner, ready to explode in your fucking face. The blur on the cover is the trail behind us as we leave all other bands in the dust!
UN: What influenced the remix tracks? It's a bit different for the style you guys play, but it adds a lot of variety to the EP.
E: We asked Ed Rose, our producer, to do something crazy and different to "Inside Me, Inside You," and he's got us dancin' now! The remixes showcase the fact that no matter how you slice it, it's still a well-written song. It can be approached many different ways, but the melody carries it through no matter what.
UN: Do you think that music videos are an important promotional tool for Ultimate Fakebook? Has your video been getting played a lot? Do you guys get a lot of radio play?
E: We get college radio play. The video has been played in Europe a lot, but in the States, it's only been in department stores and weird things like that. So we put it on the EP as an extra bonus.
UN: I'm curious to ask what draws you guys to playing rock music. I'm sure you guys listen to more then just rock, but what's the appeal? Does it just move you guys? Are you guys into any music that people would be surprised to find out?
E: I listen to so much different shit, it would knock your freakin' socks off. I've got over 2500 CDs in my collection, and not a day goes by that I don't listen to music. I love 70s R&B, old school country, bebob jazz, psychedelic rock, you name it. It all makes me feel something. Right now I'm listening to Sloan, from Canada, very possibly the best rock n roll band in the world right now.
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