In the Shadow of Two Gunmen,
The ForecastSeeing as though Aiden and Hawthorne Heights are currently Victory's number one bands, The Forecast are an odd pickup for the label. With a dual male/female vocal, the band musically soudn a little like a Hey Mercedes/The Weakerthans cross - and are very good to boot. At times on 'In the Shadow of Two Gunmen' the band sound absolutely huge and far better than the two bands which are currently selling by the bucketload. But then that's the music industry at the minute - it's not always about how good your songs are...
'In the Shadow of Two Gunmen' doesn't start in the best fashion. 'Everything We Want To Be' is good but sounds a little too much like the Foo Fighters for my liking, but by the time 'And We All Return To Our Roots' comes round, you'll be converted. Dustin Addis and Shannon Burns really make this band what they are, trading vocals with some beautiful harmonies. I'm a sucker for female vocals anyway, but when they're done this well, you can't help but be hooked. And to be fair to The Forecast, that track isn't a one trick pony. '(May You One Day) Carry Me Home' continues the very good work, as does 'Some Things Never Change'.
Infact, most of the songs here are winners. Once the atmospheric album's title track runs into 'A Fist Fight For Our Fathers' and the vocals scrap it out for supremacy, it's almost enough to send shivers down your spine. If you're put off by The Forecast because of the label they're on, then you're missing out. As far removed from bands like Aiden as you can get, this is honest and emotional rock which demands to be listened to.
www.the-forecast.net
Victory Records
Paul
