Artist: Burnt by the Sun
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 1/22/02
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Title: Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution Artist: Burnt by the Sun Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 1/22/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Burnt By The Sun are back with another Pantera-inspired death metalcore attack. Now, my first impression of Burnt By The Sun was not a very good one. Was it their music that turned me off? No. Was it their stage presence? No. Well what else is there? I'll tell you. It's something that rarely comes up in metal reviews, but I think it's about time it does. Punctuality. That's right. The first time I was to be introduced to Burnt By The Sun, they were coming to CBGB's in NYC, and they were very, very late. We heard that their van had broken down (yeah, like we haven't heard that one before), but I think they were just trying to move themselves closer to the headlining spot. See, it's all this really deep and clandestine conspiracy. If you would like to know more, I suggest you subscribe to my newsletter.
"If you would like to know more, I suggest you subscribe to my newsletter." Okay, if there's anything I hate, it's being made to wait. Of course, I didn't really wait for anything, they just put the next band on... so I guess I really have nothing to bitch about, but the fact is that I really enjoy bitching so I'll just go on and on about the principle of the thing. Anyway, to make a long story short (too late), when Burnt By The Sun eventually took the stage, they turned out to be a very enjoyable act.
That isn't to say that this band is doing anything all that different. They just do it damn well. This album sounds like Pantera stripped down and dragging a ten-ton weight. Of course that weight does nothing to slow them down, it just makes them heavy as hell. No shit, the bottom end on this thing couldn't be moved with a bulldozer, but it encompasses a groove that gives it feet all its own. In all honesty, I'd like this band a hell of a lot more if I weren't already in love with Lamb of God, but these guys are talented enough to challenge any of the top bands in the genre.
" That isn't to say that this band is doing anything all that different. They just do it damn well." I guess the bottom line is whether this band is worth your money, and it definitely is. Are there better bands out there? I think so, but that's not going to stop me from enjoying this disc until something else grabs my attention. One word review: Quality.
Death's Review:
I've made many internal associations while listening to Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution by Burnt by the Sun, and the comparisons to Pantera, Soilent Green, Lamb of God, God Forbid, Diecast and Morbid Angel are more than favorable. Surprisingly, it's not just the stellar production or indie-forward packaging that raises this one above the general mediocrity bar, either. Burnt by the Sun has a certain incessant groove to its sound that many of its deathcore contemporaries lack. The band sports some seriously sick riffs that will make you want to crush all you encounter. A tight rhythm section with the requisite snare-happy drummer, downtuned, open-fingered chords with lots of sticky bends and harmonics, and a seriously sick sense for the perfect time changes without wasting a good riff or a money-shot groove-- all are present on this album. What's more, Burnt by the Sun sport a Relapse-style attitude/aesthetic yet somehow combine it with a higher degree of metallic accessability. Your average Pantera fan might like Burnt By the Sun if she only knew.
" The band sports some seriously sick riffs that will make you want to crush all you encounter."
But the music tells only half of the story. Vocalist/lyricist Mike Olender is a veritable modern day poet, and I'm buying into the lyrics all the way. Try this one:
"If you call yourself extreme yet you still like to mosh, you're gonna love this."
I know your head is ready to explode, I can see it in your eyes.
Your heart has died. Your will has been erased. Motivation displaced.
And this is how the story will end. No good will ever come of it. No.
Unless you realize you're selling yourself short. A fine heart marked down.
And you cheapen it day by day.Wow. Here's another:
Let's look at the facts. We're sidetracked by how much we're being taxed.
What little regard we have for human life. We fight for the scraps and blame the poor.
All the while our future is bought and paid for. Who manipulates the economy?
And so the story goes.
Don't let your mind be guided by who you vote for, because chances are you don't know what's in store.
What's in store?Cool stuff.
The song titles are fun too. "Soundtrack to the Worst Movie Ever," "Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom," and "Shooter McGavin" ('Happy Gilmore'?) are some of my favorites. Burnt by the Sun are a very cool band, with a sense of humor, a sense of aesthetic and an ass-kicking aggro-death sound. If you call yourself extreme yet you still like to mosh, you're gonna love this. If you catch yourself wishing your death metal would be more intelligently presented once in a while, then check this one out-- I don't think you'll be disappointed. An important release not to be overlooked.
Hel's Review:
Favorite track: "Shooter McGavin"By now, everyone knows that the Judgment Committee generally reviews two albums every single week. Invariably, somewhere between these two, I find a topic they both have in common which I wish to rant about. Depending on how a review flows, I either introduce that topic and indulge myself in a rant or forgo the issue altogether. This week, I simply must rant.
I have always despised having to label music. Unfortunately, the number one thing people always seem to want to know when reading a music review is, "how does it sound?" In order to answer the question, there is really only one of two things you can do. You can compare them to well-known bands, which often confuses the issue more than not, since a writer can easily come up with descriptive combinations, but it can be extremely hard for the reader to imagine what that particular conglomeration might sound like. The other option is to utilize the neat little compartmentalized sub-genres people are endlessly creating for this very purpose.
"This week, I simply must rant." Music, however, is a living thing. By nature, musicians are continually trying to defy and defeat the labels people have created for their music. So where does it end? I have endlessly tried to avoid these pitfalls, with little to no success. Invariably, someone finds something to criticize about my chosen descriptors. And eventually there comes a point when I don't have any idea where another writer got their descriptors. Which brings us to a point. (Note that I didn't say it would be a good one.)
Apparently, "Alternative Press" (whoever they are, and, moreover, why did they have this record before we did?) calls this, "A fiery metal / hardcore melting pot." The term "hardcore" has evolved so much over the years, I'm not even really sure what the hell it is supposed to mean these days. And wouldn't that very description then label this "metalcore" instead? I'm so confused!! Sure, you can all write me and tell me what you think the terminology means, but that isn't my point. The point, really, is that the mere act of me expressing uncertainty over its definition compels you to look for a clear one. See what a vicious cycle we have gotten ourselves into?
"These vocals encompass some of the most unintelligible screaming imaginable." So, for the remainder of this review, I declare a ban all sub-genre labels. Let's just see how we do with that, shall we? The music of Burnt by the Sun is vocal driven, with tons of intensely fast drum fills peppered throughout each song, and a wall of distorted guitar riffs standing firm behind it all. These vocals encompass some of the most unintelligible screaming imaginable. The music on the album is artfully written, with lots of twists and turns from one part of a given song to another part. Even the song titles are entertaining in and of themselves-- 'Happy Gilmore' just doesn't get referred to enough in metal. The final track, "Rebecca" is a study in contrast, as it is as unlike anything else on the album as possible. (So, how'd I do?)
Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution is a wonderfully heavy romp. If this had come out last year, I would have immediately handed it 5 skulls. Unfortunately, I am already beginning to feel the pinch of giving out too many good scores, and I just can't talk myself out of shortchanging this one. Or, I just can't talk myself into bumping it up to 5-- you choose. And while you're at it, you can pick what sub-genre you think this belongs in-- 'cause I just won't do it this time. Whatever you decide, if you are into records that are musically well executed and obviously passionate, with catchy song titles, this should be your revolutionary soundtrack.
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