Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Blackout Are The Best In Town


The Welsh six piece screamo outfit known as The Blackout have blown out their vocal chords across the pond repeatedly in hopes that someone outside of the UK would actually hear them. Now, with their new album, The Best In Town, invading the shores of the US, there's no doubt at this point that The Blackout will be heard and that your eardrums will never be the same again.

With a sound that would sound good even on Memorex C-60 cassettes, The Blackout play loud, brashly, and without a care in the world. This is a band that could be compared to a top linebacker core; a group willing to sacrifice their bodies and hearts for their team/songs. The Best In Townis super powerful and crisp stuff that's melodic while still having more electricity than a JEA generating plant.

The Best In Townis a fantastic combination of angst and amusement. With vocals that could shatter glass, pierce your heart, and then sugar coat everything, The Blackout is truly a dangerous proposition. While screamo has been done and done to death to the point where it pretty much all sounds alike, The Blackout have that little bit extra which separate them from the pack. "Children of the Night," for example, sounds like Skid Row's, "Youth Gone Wild," on steroids; it's a surge of electricity that carries The Best In Town over the top. In fact, The Best In Townis almost like a self fulfilling prophecy because after listening to this record about a dozen times it's hard not see The Blackout as The Best Screamo Band In Town.

With the ability crush all who oppose them The Blackout have issued a thunderous roar that can be heard 'round the world with The Best In Town. The record is a powerful statement of intent for a band only now coming into their own. It's overexcited, maniacal and barely able to contain itself. And yet, despite their ability to destroy things, The Blackout find harmonies and melodies that your ears can't help but follow around. It might come from a genre that's been just about exhausted, but The Best In Town proves that there's still some life in the old dog yet and that's not such a bad thing.

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