Being compared to the likes of the immensely impressive and underrated Yaphet Kotto is no easy thing to live up to, yet No Idea has such faith in the band that such comparisons have happened. But being held in such high regard has worked against them as they fail to both live up to the formers staggering talent and never quite finding the right mix up of angst and melody throughout the duration of the CD.
It’s melodic hardcore played in the vein of Strike Anywhere, Sick of It All, while displaying certain homage’s to a crunchier early nineties sound. It starts well enough with the brooding suspense of an air raid siren heightening suspense levels before it launches into an all out hardcore attack, but once ‘Black Beneath the Eyes‘ ends, you have the niggling feel that it wont steer widely clear of what you have already heard. And while the likes of ‘Dividing Line’ showcase some stunning guitar work, and the anthemic chanting of ‘Head First’ pulls you in and is sure to be a live favourite, it just doesn’t stop “Aesthetic Arrest†from slipping into mediocrity. It isn’t all doom and gloom though as the vocals on ‘Eighty-Six’ reach deafening heights and is one of the few tracks that really stand up above the crowd, but sadly minor sparks such as this don’t last long.
While the lyrics are impressive, the sound organised and guitars crunching, it fails to ever pull out of 2nd gear and proves one of the more disappointing No Idea releases in recent memory. To be blunt it just doesn’t require repeat listens as once you have heard the one, you have heard them all.
Jay
www.glassandashes.cjb.net
No Idea Records