City of Ships - (2009) Look What God Did to Us

sound: Rock/Post Hardcore/Screamo
length: 10 songs, 39.4 minutes
www.myspace.com
01. Wraiths in Flight
02. Spring Tiger
03. Praise Feeder
04. Grand Contour
05. March of the Slaves
06. Welcome to Earth
07. Silver Anniversary
08. Complacence in the Nest
09. Grandfather Paradox
10. The Star in the East


Remember when i was like "if you like Hopesfall/Thrice you're going to like this band" ? Actually that was a gross understatement, the song Wraiths in Flight came on and i had to open my itunes to be sure i wasn't listening to some A Types B-side. This record is fucking dark. Half the tracks are like heavy shadows, dense with guitar presence and high impact cymbals hits only to clear up to reveal melancholy vocalizations. Don't ever let anyone tell you Virginia boys can't bring it, pretty sure this record just curb stomped my fucking headphones into dust. Still think Live Free or Dont EP is my fav. by this band so far but this is pretty epic too.

sounds like: Hopesfall, Thrice

bump.

Emery - (2009) While Broken Hearts Prevail EP

sound: Rock/Post Hardcore/Screamo
length: 7 songs, 37.48 minutes
myspace
1. The Smile, The Face 2:45
2. Edge of the World 3:50
3. Say The Things (You Want) 3:03
4. Ten Talents 3:26
5. Always Depends 3:40
6. Thoughtlife 3:46
7. Do The Things (You Want) 3:52

Let me premise this by saying right now:
I fucking LOVE this band.
I have a ton of their merch, i have every demo, every unreleased track, and ton of live shows. I have a fucking Emery sticker on two of my goddamn guitars Including the one i use on stage. They would be the band i have seen live most if it wasn't for Minus the Bear, and i repeat Emery's live show is Out of Fucking Control.

But im not going to lie to you guys their previous album I'm Only a Man was like this weird divulge into some Alternative bullshit and it was terrible. The feel of the record was off, musically it was absolute fucking Garbage. I mean, im pretty sure i would rather have listened to a pile of the bands actual shit then ever hear that record again.

OK, now that being said this EP right here, is a honorable revisit to everything that makes this band SO FUCKING AWESOME. Back to basics ladies and gents, we're talking all the raw energy that makes up their live shows pouring through the speakers. The introspective lyrics that are so specific, but emotionally universal laid over and under a rock steady chorus and beautiful harmonic breakdowns. The odd mix of acoustics in heavier songs is an innovative touch, adding personality to some of the more substantial would be "screamo" tracks.
Best part of this album is the bands maturity in their admission to fans over I'm Only A Man with lyrics like "Let's write the songs that they want/I thought they'd love us but they don't." Previous fans of Emery will get a kick out of the old demo Always Depends remastered. These guys still got it, Cheers.

sounds like: Hopesfall, City of Ships, He is Legend

Bump.

Emery - (2009) ...In Shallow Seas We Sail

sound: Rock/Post Hardcore/Screamo
length: 13 songs
myspace
1. "Cutthroat Collapse" – 3:24
2. "Curbside Goodbye" – 4:05
3. "Inside Our Skin" – 3:14
4. "Churches and Serial Killers" – 2:55
5. "Butcher's Mouth" – 3:14
6. "In Shallow Seas We Sail" – 3:38
7. "The Poor and the Prevalent" – 3:05
8. "The Smile, The Face" – 2:41
9. "A Sin To Hold On To" – 2:48
10. "Piggy Bank Lies" – 3:23
11. "Edge of the World" – 3:52
12. "Dear Death Part 1" – 1:41
13. "Dear Death Part 2" – 3:02

So i decided the hold out on writing about this record for a while, because i like this band a great deal and i wanted to be sure i was fair. So here goes:

This is without a doubt a VERY IMPRESSIVE full length follow up to The Question. All the glory of their trademark weaving heartfelt vocals and Josh's well placed screams. Expect a return to heavy crunchy guitar riffs, and those familiar melodic guitar riffs from Matt. Piggy Bank Lies is Fucking great guys, along with Butcher's Mouth, Shallow Seas and Edge of the World. From top to bottom this a strong record, honestly restored all the faith i had lost banging my head against a wall with *I'm Only a Man.

* I'm Only a Man.
was terrible, and if you liked it, then You are a horse's ass.

sounds like: Hopesfall, He is Legend, City of Ships

Bump.

City of Ships - (2008) Live Free or Dont EP

sound: Rock/Post-Hardcore/Screamo
length: 5 songs, 21.35 minutes
myspace
1. Twenty Twenty
2. Hold Tight
3. Evidence/Based Medicine
4. Too Late To Pray
5. Time Flies

Virginia band sporting some heavy melodic guitar riffs and gravely screams crawling towards a throaty chorus. WARNING: this record is not happy bunnies and smiling sunsets. Yet for all the happiness seeping of Hold Tight and the metal-mongering of Evidence/Based Medicine there is the beauty of the breakdown in Too Late to Pray. For fans of Thrice and Hopesfall faithfuls, here is your new favorite band.

sounds like: Thrice, He is Legend, Coterie, Hopesfall

*Bang.

* since this went down, i threw in their self titled too, enjoy :)