unsolicited.

Panthro U.K. United 13 - Sound Of A Gun (1998)

2010-07-10T04:33:00.001-05:00

Panthro U.K. United 13 is a band from the beardcore mecca of Gainesville, FL. Their album Sound of a Gun was released on No Idea Records in 1998, and this album is pretty damn good.

The band’s sound jumps from straight-ahead punk rock tracks like “Sound of a Gun” and “Princess” to the more metal and alt-rock sound of “Alien Cok” and “P.U.K.U. 13 Fight Song.” The title track, “Sound of a Gun” is a pretty laid-back track that rocks the fuck out, and it’s definitely the strongest track on the album.

The band’s sound is wrapped up in two main parts: the vocals and the guitar work. The vocals are much clearer than many of their peers but like to roll into emotive shouts. With the way the album is mixed, it comes out sounding raw and real, like the singer is trying to shout over the music at you. The guitars switch from slow-chugging metal to simple pop-punk from track to track. The guitar work fits each song like a glove, and the stylistic switch from track to track flows remarkably well.

The sound of this album can most easily be compared to Hot Water Music’s album Fuel for the Hate Game. But the comparison is more based of off production and sound quality, because Panthro blazes ahead with mid-tempo punk rock more reminiscent of bands like the Mushuganas.

The more I try, the harder it is to really pin down another band that sounds like these guys. They’re a pretty unique punk rock band that brings that little something extra to the table. All in all, it’s a good release from No Idea with some hits and some misses, but the hits are dead on.

Three out of Five
No Idea Records

Strike Anywhere - Iron Front EP (2009)

2010-07-10T04:31:00.001-05:00

Strike Anywhere is back, and better than ever. They have a solid back catalogue of impressive, politically supercharged melodic hardcore. Now they've released a new four-song EP on Bridge 9 Records. The EP features two tracks from the album that it takes its name from, Iron Front, and two new songs not to be featured on their new LP. The four tracks blaze by in nine minutes, and they do not disappoint.

The album starts off with a strong opener, “Failed States." The track blasts open and unleashes the fury that is Strike Anywhere -- powerful guitars and driving drums complement Thomas Barnett’s frantic vocals delivering rapid-fire lines. “Hand of Glory” is the second track and is reminiscent of their hardcore roots. Frantic drumming and gang vocals abound on this one. Clocking in at over just a minute and a half, this song is the most furious track on the EP, too. “Orphan Age” features guitar work that rides the line between hardcore and pop-punk. The song ends with an exhausted Thomas screaming “There is no peace / there is no sleep / Until the people rise / and take back the land.” “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” is the most melodic track on the EP, complete with a big chorus and driving verses. It’s a song that is the pure and simple definition of Strike Anywhere as a band: heavy-hitting, politically charged and catchy as hell, all wrapped up into a three-minute-long track.

The first two tracks sound reminiscent of their Change Is a Sound-era material, while the last two tracks draw comparisons to Dead FM and Exit English. Overall, it’s an impressive EP from one of melodic hardcore’s top-tier bands. This EP does its job well. It offers a tease of the upcoming album, and some new stuff to help tide fans over. It’s relentless in its drive and energy. Strike Anywhere always brings their A-game, and this EP is evidence of that. Easily, this is the band's best output to date. Make sure this EP finds its way into your music collection -- it's way too good to pass up

Four out of Five
Bridge Nine Records

Into The Wild (2007)

2010-07-10T04:11:00.001-05:00

Sean Pen brings to life a remarkable tale of youth, freedom, and rejecting the life expected of us. The film follows the experience of Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) in an adaptation of the book of the same name. The film follows the source material closely, telling the story of the real life Christopher McCandless adding only fictionalized personal interactions which only add to the film. The story follows from Matthew’s college graduation, beginning his cross country adventures. The film jumps between two timelines. The first is Matthew in the Alaskan wilderness, living off the land. The rest of the film jumps between the Alaskan scenes and showing how he got to that point.

Sean Pen does an incredible job directing this film, showing an amazing gift for storytelling. The final minutes of the film will draw tears, heartbreak, and prayers. You can see exactly where the film is taking you, but it is someplace you don’t want to go. The film draws you in and makes you care about the vagabond traveling under the name “Alex Supertramp”. This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It celebrates youth, innocence, and what it really means to be alive and to experience the world.

Five out of Five.

Brothers (2009)

2010-07-10T04:08:00.006-05:00

Brothers is a modern story of coping with life. Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal give power performances as two brothers living drastically different lives. One is a Marine who has been serving in Afghanistan, the other an ex-convict. When Sam (played by Tobey Maguire) is presumed dead in Afghanistan, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) slowly fills in his brother’s roll as father to his two daughters and moving into a frustrating relationship with Sam’s wife, played by Natalie Portman. The film is full of sharp scenes that portray the family dynamic, with Sam as the golden child and Tommy as the black sheep. Each character grows and develops (in Sam’s case, devolves may be more accurate) as each comes to term with their fate.

The film juxtaposes sweet scenes of rural America and a family healing with the brutality of war in Afghanistan. The transitions between these scenes are often sharp and leave the viewer feeling disoriented and uncomfortable. The tension in the film reaches a boiling point when Toby Maguire’s character returns from being a POW and finds him separated from the rest of his family, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder leading to an explosive final act. The film falls flat in the last five minutes, tripping up and losing its excellent pacing and tension building. The ending feels forced, tacked on as a way to cue up the final song before rolling the credits. The ending really hurts the film, especially after such a strong third act. A stronger ending could have made the film much more memorable, but instead the ending is completely forgettable and really damaged what otherwise was a quality film.

Three out of Five.