Celebrity Role Model,
The Escape EngineIt would be fairly easy to dismiss The Escape Engine as another band doing that emo/screamo thing in a passionless, predictable way. But that would be lazy. Whilst the New Jersey band appear on the surface to follow down the path of their peers in Thursday et al, scratch away at what appears in front of you and you'll come across a far more fearsome, yet equally as interesting, band that are yet to be given a chance. Throwing in influences from the likes of At The Drive In or Fairweather, the band's screeching and twisting isn't as contrived as you may have thought on first listen. Infact, 'Celebrity Role Model' is actually a vicious, spitting Cobra which doesn't fail to pull off a heady mix of melodies and gut-wrenching screams with some interesting off-kilter beats and rythmns.
'Weapon of Choice' is a highlight and while 'Welcome To the Conversation' attempts to merely copy the genre rulebook (y'know, the one where there's a throaty scream and shouty verse followed by melodic chorus), the band show they are certainly more than a one trick pony. 'Transparent' features off-kilter drumming and some very interesting programming/samples, which makes for some rather plesant variation, while the album's title track features a vocal delivery which is aggressive, emotional and believable. I am sick and tired of bands that merely copy a stack of others and while The Escape Engine at times flirt with the more generic side of the genre, their take on the post-hardcore game is intriguing enough to keep many hardened music lovers interested well past the first half-dozen listens.
www.theescapeengine.net
Fidelity Records
Paul
