The Number Twelve Looks Like You - Here at the End of All Things CD/DVD
Release Date: June 17th, 2008
Record Label: Eyeball Records
For those not interested (or at least entertained) by the shrill crunch of mathcore/grindcore act The Number 12 Looks Like You, then a live CD/DVD is most definitely not up your alley, or even on the same street. But for those that appreciate the erratic juxtaposition of crass, melody and tribal beats, Here at the End of All Things is going to be a familiar collection of nose bleeds and limbs flailing. Hence the raging hardcore kids. Not that I would ever throw myself to the hungry lions, but circle pits are always fun to watch. Therefore, Here at the End of All Things is fun to watch.
The venue, School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ, is a prime setting for the rambunctious New Jersey crowd. It's a hometown group, and T#12LLY is a band popular among bandanas and swoop hair-cuts - the combination is priceless (see: the line shots at the beginning of the DVD performance). Commentary and a detailed song-by-song interview give dedicated fans a thorough history behind the band's writing process, but it's going to be less than stimulating for someone who isn't a steady #12 listener. But this is usually the case with any band DVD, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.
What does cash in as more than novelty is the CD portion, which is part live tracks, part filler remixes ("Weekly Wars" and "Imagine Nation Express"), some random silence ("Silence") and one tribute ("Texas Dolly"). Heavier bands rarely produce good live recordings; they usually bake into a mush of distortion (see: The Blood Brothers). The riffs bleed together like mascara in the rain, and the refined tumbling of a good growl or drum roll are swamped in the mix. For Here at the End of All Things, the first six live tracks (all recorded at School of Rock) are much more distinguishable and are some of the best heavier material I've heard in live audio format. It's crisp and clear and worthwhile if you're a major fan. "Jesus & Tori", "Civeta Dei", and "Sleeping With The Fishes, See?" are thrown together into one track at the end and are of lesser quality than the earlier live tracks.
This conclusion is as cut-and-cry as a review can get. Love the band, love the DVD/CD. Unless you enjoy mad crowds, or just watching them. Then, even if you're not a bandana kid with an affirmation for screech-shout chug and chug, Here at the End of All Things will be an amusing showcase.
I need this DVD badly. And I've seen the blood brothers more than one time, they didn't sound like a mush of distortion. Unless you're talking about the DVD (which I haven't seen)
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