| Jersey
Beat - 1998 by Rick Quinian | |
Along
with having the longest band name that I have ever seen, this Austin quartet is
taking punk rock into new and unexplored territory on their debut self-titled
release. Their sound ranges from a full rage ("Richter Scale Madness",
"Ounce of Prevention"), to lush instrumental ("Novena Without
Faith"). Throughout the course of eight twisting and turning songs, the band stretches itself all over the musical map, particularly frontment Jason Reece and Conrad Keely. These two, as well as Kevin Allen and Neil Busch, exchange instruments and responsibilities within the band. Live reviews describe the band as non-stop manic energy, which I find interesting considering the periods of tranquility found on songs like "Prince With a Thousand Enemies" and "When We Begin to Steal". The musicianship is intricate and stirring as TOD challenges themselves on each track. Harder-than-thou ans may not appreciate or follow that TOD is attempting, particularly with their occasional usage of samples and noise loops, but that is exactly the point. This record is for the adventurous who are willing to let bands take chances. Cheers should be given o King Coffey and Trance Syndicate for allowing TOD to have the oppertunity to display their unique sound. | |
