I. Introduction- My name is Ryan Wagner, currently the bass player for the band Punch Cabbie out of the beautiful City of Chicago in IL. I have been asked by the owner of The Pig Roast, Derek Block to give my professional opinion on up and coming bands who submit to his album review website. I am going to be tough, but fair in my ratings because of the numerous signed and unsigned talents that we have played with in our years together as a band. I have shared the stage with such bands as Bury Your Dead, Mushroomhead, Taproot, Seven Day Sonnet, Janus, Machine Head, Blue Felix, Murder Death Kill, and more. Derek and I both believe that my experience in the music industry can help bring another opinion to his great album review website and help bands move in the right direction after a little professional help.
A. Name of musician/band: PxBxS
B. Name of CD/Album: Demo (Unknown Title)
C. Genre of music: Hardcore / Punk
D. Initial Impressions – What is your reaction to the music after the first listen?
At first glance of the opening track, Did you Miss Us, the song began with a distorted guitar with a punk type feel. When the bass guitar kicked in, I then noted that this was an independent release. The vocals are quite hardcore and just reflect an undefined screaming, with absolutely no melody or even foundation. At the start of the second trackHawkeyedeerslayer, it became clear that this album is defiantly unique in originality. The vocals on this record appear to stick out to me the most because of its VERY raw content. Upon listening to the album it appears to lack any sort of melody or even premise behind the vocals and song structure.
II. Musician/Band Background
What do you know about this band/artist? Have they been around a long time or are they just breaking onto the scene? What is their background?
According to Punkrockers.com, PxBxS was a short lived low profile powerviolence/grindcore band, now back by popular demand...PxBxS (Pipe Bomb Suppository) is a SoCal Powerviolence band that broke up after playing one show. They have just reformed and began playing shows again.
B. Previously released CDs or songs: Unknown
C. How does this CD or song compare to others by this group or artist? Unknown
III. CD/Album
Is there an overall theme for this CD? How would you describe it?
It would appear after listening to this album that it has a very hardcore / grindcore feel to the overall theme. It has a very raw and unedited sound that reflects the theme of the entire album, ANGER. This anger is expressed in every song that PxBxS has put out on this album.
B. Think about the lyrics. What is your opinion of them? Provide a few examples.
- After listening to this entire album, I really am unable to decipher what the singer is saying, if anything, during the performance. This recording also is a very rough copy and not professionally mixed at all. It makes it very difficult to stop and review each part of the album when all the parts are blended together so roughly like in this album.
V. Overall rating and final comments
After reviewing this entire album, I give this album a 1 out of 5. This album by PxBxS is not professionally recorded or even mixed. The tones and recording quality on this album do indeed reflect the genre of music, but a musician should be proud of their product at the end of the recording session. The album should reflect a professional recording, producer, quality of music, and even just the use of a metronome, which this album does none of the above. I gave this album a 1 because in contrast though, this movement of music has been a pivotal part in music with the blend of punk and hardcore. Even after all the negative aspects to this album, it still has an originality of raw and intense anger to it when all said and done. It also could be harvasted into a great product with the right recording, production, mixing, and just good old fashion practice.
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