The challenge for any band is the distinct barrier between technology and live sound. Somehow when transferring energy, emotion, and vibe onto a record, the live distortions and movement tend to get lost in a sea of cables and recording equipment. For The Blamed, if the ocean of sound and frenzy captured on their newest offering, Isolated Incident is any indication of their musical power live, then here is a truly good band.
The four very talented musicians that make up the band, bringing with them a solid history of artistry and music, have managed to transform the band into more than your average hardcore group. Brian Gray, Matt Switaj, and twins Christopher and Trevor Wiitala, have taken their aggressive and distorted sound and added elements of harmony with melodic twists, and have created a more innovative form of hardcore.
Isolated Incident launches with a hardcore anthem sure to infuse a live set with all the energy needed for a heavy show-starter. "This Moment" pulls the listener in with a catchy hook, then pounces with throat scratching vocals which carry the underlying melodic strain. "Social Calls" features the same strong vocal base combined with some killer guitar riffs and drum loops. In a poignant reflection of life, "At Least We Have Each Other" softens the hardcore edge just a bit to break into an emotional reverie on love and battling the obstacles standing in the way of a relationship:
Why do you let yesterday consume you?
This is the day, the time for solutions.
Don't walk away, don't say a word.
Embrace her like you'll never see her again.
"Our Bizarre World" opens large, with huge guitar sounds and heavy vocals competing with an equally heavy drum track. The song speaks, loudly, about God's omniscience compared to our frail ideas of beauty and popularity. A moment of self-inspection and vulnerability leads the listener through "The Piano is Playing Our Song." A sweetly emotive expression of a prideful reluctance to commit to a relationship.
Overall, the album displays all the energy and lyrical fury one expects from a hardcore band. It's like going outside after an incredible storm, surveying the effects, and remembering the power that went before. Isolated Incident leaves you with the memory of power experienced.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #89Reviewed by Josh SpencerI haven't met many fans of The Blamed. I don't know why. Is it because they change their sound a little every album? Or is it their tenacious loyalty to an old school hardcore gruffness in a slick new school world? I suspect mostly it's because over the years The Blamed have developed two things foreign to most hardcore punk bands: 1) musical ability and 2) the courage to take chances. They've…Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Tom BastianAs many of you know that come here and read the reviews, I'm not always the biggest fan of hardcore. But the Blamed, who I would say fit the hardcore tag, are a band I have actually really enjoyed lately. With "Isolated Incident" the band brings us their best release to date. They bring creativity and innovation to hardcore. They have vocals that you can understand and sing along to, "I'm on the…Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Brett MiottiCall them the chameleon of the "Christian" punk scene. Or, call them a bunch of guys who refuse to remain stagnant and want to grow musically. Whatever you call them, The Blamed seem to have found what works best for them. Picking up where the band's "Germany" EP left off, the Chicago quartet throw in their old rock influences and a dash of Fugazi influence into the formula. Stand out cuts on…Similar sounding releases
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