"I know it's not you, It's the nothing that kills"

Author's Rating:

Pros: The usual four or so songs that make it not a complete waste of time

Cons: Cody Bonnete's vocals at times, rough around the edges, obvious lack of solid musical direction

The Bottom Line: 
Nothing to get overexcited about. You'd have to go through alot more suggestions before considering this, but if you have already, there are worse options.

Author's Review
Usually when a disc you know nothing about bears an attention grabbing sticker on its cover that compares the unknown band to a considerably more popular band(s) (In this case, underOATH, Beloved and The Bled) that usually doesn't give off a good impression on me, and thus doesn't bode well on the band in consideration. But, I obviously chose to go past my stereotype and expand my boundries a little, or there really wouldn't be any point in me bringing up the point at all. And one of these days, I'm going to learn my own lesson. For today's example, I present you one of Solid State Records newest signess, As Cities Burn. Compared and raved on by many as a suitable musical cousin to label mate to the previously mentioned underOATH, they peaked my interest for no reason but the simple mention of what has become one of my more favorite bands of the hard rock genre. So me, in my hearty-recommendation-read some lyrics-and randomly buy custom style, picked up the debut record of the group.

As far as history goes, these guys have a pretty short one. They were a very succesful underground indie group, and during their time undiscovered they release a single EP that was quite popular, selling over 1,000 records. The rest is history, they got picked up by hardcore label Solid State and that's where we stand right now.


As Cities Burn, They keep making music:
T.J. Bonnette-Vocals
Cody Bonnette-Guitar,Vocals
Colin Kimble-Guitar
Pascal Barone-Bass
Aaron Lunsford-Drums


One thing you're almost guranteed to notice through a browse of this albums discography is that these guys seem to be a metal band in the making, judging by the lyrics and title. But a closer look at the music that the guys hand out reveals that these guys are hardly anything to metal, which causes a "Your just a wanna be" look right down onto the band, which is not a good thing for a band that has alot to prove before even beginning. The album opener gives hints of a hard musical tale that might imply that the band is interested in the darker and heavier workings of a metal group, but it's not so. "Thus From Your Lips, By Yours, My Sin is Purged" is said opening track and, in an unbiased look, I can't really decide whether it wants to be a harsh poetically deep work, or just a major wreck of colliding dual guitars and crazed screaming. From the position of someone more in the style it's not so bad. T.J. Bonnette's vocals are authentic and emotionally dipped full throated screams. The first introduction to the two guitars aren't great, but just good enough to impress. The songs real fault comes with the introduction of the secondary vocalist who handles most of the actual singing vocals, Cody Bonnette. His customary high-pitched voice comes through too confident and cocky, while the overall vibe that you get from him is one of an immature child. His vocals go nowhere on this track, leaving future tracks for him to prove himself. "Incomplete is a Leech" is an interesting title, for sure, but unfortunately the song doesn't deliver the awkward integrity that the title suggests. It starts out harmless enough, just T.J. offering up some less then half-hearted screams that resemble singing more closely then usual, while the drum-guitar combination immediatly offers up a hard rock jam fix. But after just a minute into the song everything dies down as a lukewarm flow of drumming and a watered down guitar go on solo for the next minute, only to find all the musicians come out thrashing there heads out on there individual instruments, while incomprehandable screaming ensues. The song eventually stops itself in its track with T.J.'s finally understandable screams of "Bloodsucker" which means nothing in the whole lyrical scheme of the song.

Continuing on with the topic of bloodsuckers (for whatever reason), "Bloodsucker Pt. 2" comes into play. But I do have good things to say about this song, in comparison to it's prequel by title. A short intro by one of the guitars immediatly draws the listener into a quirky situation that shouldn't be there in this type of song. I really like T.J.'s vocals on this one, as he forsakes any thoughts of screaming for the time being, and sings with a pure, unadultered medium pitched vocal output. It would have been really cool to have him sing the whole song solo, but Cody's obnoxious, wavering vocals stop the song becoming really awesome. The lyrics are some of the most relatable you're bound to find as T.J. screams out of his semi-voluntary entry into the corrupt world system: "Well it's yours, You can have it means that much to you / Strectch me out across the table and turn my insides out / Turn me into someone else, someone more like yourself.../...I swear not to scream at my becoming part of the machine." The musical outlook is hardly different, but the coacting guitars and consistent drumming fit the down and desperate approach the lyrics take. "Terrible! How Terrible For The Great City" is a song that I hate to love, simply for the foolish lyrical flow. "Am I monster when I sink my teeth into her? When I don't love her." is the opening question posed by Cody against a withdrawn guitar electronically backdropped with the soft vocals. I hate to be forward, but "Duh! You idiot!" Of course you're a jerk or, as you call yourself, a monster, for leading her to believe that you loved her, and taking everything you wanted from her only to tear the floor out from underneath her when you leave her. ....Um, yeah anyway. The lyrics make it almost impossible for me to enjoy it completely, but that's just me. It's too bad, the music is very adequate for the story, if you want to call it that. The final lyrical verse isn't all that shabby, admittedly, as when T.J. is tearing his vocal chords up singing he seems to be regretfull of the situation, though he isn't involved (I guess that's a problem that you encounter when you have two vocalists working the same song, they can seem to be coming from different sides of it). It's not as bad as the opening line would have you believe, but it could have been better. I just don't really get the whole point of the song.

I have to admit, I feel slightly guilty when I listen to "The Widow". One writer said of the song that "If this track fails to stir sorrow within you, you should go to the doctor and have an x-ray, because it's quite possible that you no longer have a soul."* There's no doubt that it's a powerful song, and possibly the most poigant and delicately beautiful song that I've heard in a while, but it doesn't move me emotionally that much. It has tools to do so, though. Cody gets the whole song vocally to himself and he takes good care of it, with his best vocal work of the disc. The delicately picked guitar notes and silently strummed chords only accent the slight beauty of the song. Cody sings of a drug addicted father who left his family. Cody apply's it to himself personally, so to the best of my knowledge, it's a true lyrical story. It's very nice, just not uber-emotional.

"Dead man, were you ever alive?
Or was I just a seed, buried deep inside some women you wed
Right before you crawled out of her bed
And crept down the hall
Did you think of me?
Did you even hesitate in the doorway?
It's just something I'd like to know,
Though I'd still love you if you said you just walked away...
...Dead man is it being high that makes you alive?
That makes you leave behind three boys and a wife in '89?"



I guess "Wake Dead Man, Wake" would be considered the title track. I really like this song, it's fierce drumming and the combination of one guitar handing out serious riffage while its partner keeps an optimistic high guitar sequence give a different look from the rest of the album. The lyrics are quite nice here too. They come from the perspective of God, and I suppose the point of it all is to realize the amount of faith that we put in him, positively of course: "Son, I loved you at your darkest / But what good is the whole world when I promise no tomorrow? / I can only promise tomorrow will never take you past my palm" "Of Want and Misery: The Nothing that Kills" comes and goes by as just a little more then a blind shot at a 6 minute roller coaster ride of emotion that is all to typical of album closers in this genre. Cody lends a little screaming in here, and it's pretty nice, while his singing voice floats between the two extremes of like and dislike when used against the muted piano. The two singers split the singing time pretty fairly down the line. The on thing that hurts the song is that, once again, during the middle everything dies out except for a few select taps on the drums and an ominous guitar laying around in the background. And, as usual, everything comes back after the short interlude with a vengeance. At the end of this one, a short guitar solo is offered up, and it's pretty good. The lyrics aren't too shabby either, as the singing duo makes confession of their undying love for an individual who doesn't always respond the same way:

"I watched you float await on a wave of want and misery
Now I have to find you, I have to keep your head above the water
While the current pulls me under...
...I will love you even when you won't let me,
And you will kill me by doing nothing
I'd like to think that this is love
Lost in second chances without end"



Although a slighty tiring combination of medium riffs coupled with one fierce and heavy vocalist, while the other singer takes considerably lighter duties, is what this disc is ultimately all about. As just another reviewer in somewhat unexperienced waters, I'm not sure what the different reaction to this album would be from someone who is rooted into this kind of music. But my opinion on it is this: There are better albums out there with this sound, so in that case it isn't worth your time. But if you've already hit most of those other albums and want something that isn't as well known this quintet just might grow on you enough to like it. But it will have to grow substantly on you, and you'll have to have a huge appreciation for this kind of stuff. Like the bottom line says, go through alot more stuff before getting this, and don't expect a musical masterpiece. If they continue to grow and improve on their sophomore record they'll be a band to be looking for. But right now, they aren't quite there.



Look more into it if you like: A "light metal" sound, Biblically based lyrics, Hardcore music in general
Don't bother with it if you don't like: Screaming, Methaphoric lyrics that don't tell you straight out, Songs with no structure

Final Rating: 2.9 Stars


Track Listing:
Thus from My Lips, by Yours, My Sin is Purged
Love Jealous One, Love
Incomplete is a Leech
Bloodsucker, Pt. 2
Terrible! How Terrible for the Great City
The Widow
Wake Dead Man, Wake
Admission: Regret
One: Twentyseven
Of Want and Misery: The Nothing That Kills


*Quote taken from http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SonILovedYouAtYourDarkest.asp