Saddest Landscape, The - You Will Not Survive
Release Date: September 21, 2010
Record Label: Panic Records
I'm not really sure how to start this review. As I'm throwing around another worthless opener about how this album reminds me of this time when passion outweighed the pressure to sell out...blah, blah, blah. So, I'll spare you that broken record and just say how left field The Saddest Landscape's You Will Not Survive was upon first listen. It's as real as the dirt on the basement floor, or the beer stained carpet laid across home shows all around the United States. Even though this is the first full length release from the band in seven years, it feels perfectly placed in the set of releases in the post-hardcore scene this year - and one hell of a return.
In fact, as the little drum quirk opens up the album on "Declaring War On Nostalgia," it feels like you're standing in the room with about fifteen other people, just checking out the band for the first time. No ads. No press releases. No hype. Follow-up track "Torn, Broken, Beautiful" is visceral and the vocal delivery is almost psychotic.
Much like their direct comparison in City of Caterpillar, The Saddest Landscape begin their songs gradually, only to build tension and then explode into utter panic. The best example of this, "Imperfect But Ours," displays a solid mid-song climb that's capped by female harmonies. "The Shadows I Call Home," is frightening as you hear the lines "I'll never be okay" and "We build walls to feel less alone" repeated over and over again. "Eternity is Lost on the Dying" might be the album's standout moment. It's apocalyptic and haunts like a spooky sermon.
Many will take a spin of You Will Not Survive and feel it just rehashes the same sound the entire album. I'll meet you halfway on that and agree the album lends itself to a bit of redundancy, but how many pop-punk albums these days can you say the same about? There's no denying how absolutely heart on the sleeve this album is through and through. It's another throwback release for the books this year, and possibly one of the best in its genre right now.
Absolutely despise this genre for the most part (personal preference), but I listened to this album, and it totally blew me away. I have no idea what makes me enjoy it.
Absolutely despise this genre for the most part (personal preference), but I listened to this album, and it totally blew me away. I have no idea what makes me enjoy it.
Haha, honestly, I have no clue what my enjoyment of screamo/post-hardcore/whatever this is is based on. I'm sure two of those three RIYL's, I couldn't make it through the first song on the album. It's completely random chance.
Haha, honestly, I have no clue what my enjoyment of screamo/post-hardcore/whatever this is is based on. I'm sure two of those three RIYL's, I couldn't make it through the first song on the album. It's completely random chance.
It's cool, I dig screamo a lot but I can't blame your dislike of it. I need some new skramz news, now that I think about it...
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