The general rule I have for what kind of music to cover at Way Too Loud! is easy. If there’s screaming in it, good enough! It’s an easy, fast simple rule that eliminates arguing if something is metal or not, or hardcore or not, or underground enough to be covered. I will admit, I do let certain things slip through every now and then, as I get multiple promo CDs mailed to me in packages. For those of you who don't know, Way Too Loud! is my own website. And for those of you who're wondering, I'd love to cover power metal, gothic metal, and all sorts of other stuff, but I really have only enough time in my day between my day job and websites to get 2 hours of leisure time.
As Cities Burn barely, just barely fits the format of gaining coverage at Way Too Loud!, and I also know that Metal Injection is pretty lenient about what gets covered. In only a very few songs, there’s some scant really hard screaming, and it all takes place under the cover of indie/emo. Yes, I said emo, and not in a derogatory manner (because there was a point in time when it was ok), although I will say the main emphasis is on the indie part. As light as the music on “Come Now Sleep” is, it’s not focused on radio play.
Ah, but many of you from the underground would assume emo + not much screaming = made for radio, so why would I say otherwise? None of the songs are races to a hooky chorus. Instead, The light jangly chord chords echo and meander, enjoying what’s going on in the moment. The whole album is a lazy river, almost to the point where it gets close to a light version of metalgaze. There’s a few tense moment, but unfortunately because the way the CD was set up, I was unable to discern track numbers when it was playing in my CD player, so I can’t really tell you which songs were more intense, although I can say they were towards the end of the album. It’s also pointless for me to count the tracks, as they blend into each other so well, the whole thing is a whole, cohesive album, much like a steady stream if you will.
While this isn’t something I would go out and pick up (it’s not the sort of thing I can use to aggravate normal listeners), I’m glad I got it. Don’t worry, it’s not for those stereotypical emo kids who are caught up in relationship drama, it’s for those hardcore people who’d like a few mellow moments.
8/10
The Official As Cities Burn Website
As Cities Burn at MySpace
As Cities burn at Solid State
