I’ll hold my hands up, I’ve often thrown a lot of criticism at Victory and their policy of signing a lot of bands. I’m not the only one – it’s seemingly in vogue to slag the label off right now – but it’s something which has been said quite a bit in recent months. However, any accusations about signing dodgy bands cannot be levelled at Endwell who, quite frankly, are a bit bloody brilliant. Now I hate this horrible ‘scene’, generic scream/sing stuff more than your average Joe, yet Endwell do this whole ‘screamo’ thing better than practically every band I’ve heard attempting it.
Imagine Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu and a pop-punk band with oodles of melodies doing battle and you’re not far off what New Yorkers Endwell sound like. To say they’re the best prospect Victory have had in quite some time would be a very fair comment, because right from the first bars of ‘The End’ this is a record that sounds heavy and hard yet has more singalong moments than the new New Found Glory album.
Everything about this record – whether it be the balance of screams to singing, the quality of the breakdowns or the singalong anthemic choruses – is spot on. I’d say there’s only one weak track, the experimental ‘Goodbyes Are Always Coldest In December’, a song which tends to just waste a track to be honest. The rest, however, is spot on. Whether it’s the huge hooks that engulf ‘Single And Loving It’ or the bloodcurdling screams that decimate the verses of ‘Boy Meets World War III’, Endwell nail a sound that has become stale and dull. Honest to God, this band could well become my favourite on Victory. If you like the whole aggressive emo thing, Endwell are an absolute must listen.