CaliAlive.com
Hardcore & Metal
| Bleeding Kansas: Dead Under Décor |
| Written by Ryan Polei | |
| Sunday, 12 November 2006 | |
 I will start by getting the low points out of the way of this album: the biggest slash of disenchantment is that the album sounds like the first song is on repeat for half an hour; it’s as if the band used the exact same formula on every single song. You know how when you open a pack of fruit snacks they are all different colors and different textures, but essentially they all taste the same and are enjoyable? This album is a pack of fruit snacks. After listening you are satisfied, and at the same time feel like you want something more, but know another pack of Bleeding Kansas fruit snacks is not going to satisfy you. One of the things I like most about Bleeding Kansas is that they stand out in the scene they are labeled to with their own sound, and unfortunately they cherished their unique style so much that they forgot to mix it up a little. The song writing seems almost mirror on some tracks, and about half way through you will find yourself wishing for a little diversity in the style of the music. With that being said, the album is under no circumstances a complete bust. It has a few tracks that really stand out, specifically the track “Your Scars Never Heal”. The track starts off heavy and has this killer riff with the vocals that are simply put, righteous. About mid way through the song the righteous level pans down to a quiet guitar rhythm, and just when you think the song is about to end it grabs you, throws you back in your seat, and does 0-90 in like a second with no seatbelt on. So basically, you almost die but you live to enjoy the ride. The “Reprise” for “Drowning in a Sea of Sh*t” sounds like something pulled straight off a Godspeed You! Black Emperor album and helps guide you into a song that has a very dark and theatrical feel to it, interrupted by a crushing guitar riff that will get your head bobbing and your blood flowing. Sadly, the song labeled “This Song: Will F**k You Up” in no way does what it promises, it in fact is the track where I found myself checking to see if my CD player got devious and went back to repeat a previous song, and when I realized the album was still playing through, I started to find myself growing tired of the album. The album misses the mark of excellence, but it no way flat out sucks. Check them out and give them a listen before you throw some green down, especially if you are into Coalesce, Orangeburg Massacre, or Breather Resist. Hopefully Bleeding Kansas will continue on with there heavy jams and killer shows, and be ready to grace us with an epic release in the future, and not get gay like HORSE did. Abacus Recordings Track Listing: 1. Retract The Altitude 2. Right By Your Side 3. Your Scars Never Heal 4. Feel The Sting From The First Bite 5. Can’t Help You There 6. Drowning in a Sea of Sh*t (Reprise) 7. Drowning in a Sea of Sh*t 8. My Words, My Voice 9. This Song, Will F**k You Up 10. I Want Out of This 11. Hypocrites, Be Alive Again 12. City of Angels 13. Let The Heavens Swallow Me Up 14. Dead Under Décor |
