Tag: screamo

REVIEW: Textbook Traitors – You Pull The Strings That Make Us Dance (2003)

You Pull The Strings That Make Us Dance is a catharsis to inner turmoil, a mouthful, and a great album by Textbook Traitors. 6 songs, 16 minutes, no skips. It’s got all the panic chords and agony one could hope for. Chaotic abrasiveness that ebbs and flows, inhaling and exhaling across verses and bridges as a unit in the same violent manner of the ugliest, most hurt crying.

At its worst, it’s 16 minutes that might not be for the faint of heart. But with today’s modern technology, we can put albums on endless repeat until the noise complaints and/or welfare checks start rolling in.

Textbook Traitors burned bright and fast from 2002 to 2005, putting out this bad boy as well as a slew of split EPs. But the records live on, and for anyone only just beginning to dabble in Screamo, ‘You Pull The Strings’ is a must listen.

If you enjoyed this, you should check out Kevin’s post about Textbook Traitors over on Sophie’s Floorboard blog.

For fans of: Orchid, Examination of The…, City of Caterpillar

Like Textbook Traitors? Give these a listen: Mondrary, Cloud Rat, New Forms

REVIEW: Mondrary – Paraffin – Single (2023)

We might just be in the great Skramz resurgence right now. I should’ve written about this two months back when I first came across it, but if you’re into Screamo (of the ‘skramz’ variety) you need to check out Maryland’s Mondrary.

Mondrary’s first single Paraffin is a righteous wall of sound and angst that clocks in at an even 2 minutes and crosses a ton of energetic highs and moody lows. I’m immediately reminded of groups like Pg.99 and Orchid, but I’m more excited to see where the members take Mondrary over the coming years.

But for now nothing else really needs to be said. These kids RIP. Go checkout their single Paraffin and follow their Instagram in the hopes they play the craptastic nowheresville town you live in.

For fans of: Pg.99, Orchid, City of Caterpillar

Like Mondrary? Give these a listen: Textbook Traitors, Reversal of Man, Lyon Estates

REVIEW: ENTS – Demo (2012)

Screeching tension starts before you even know it. High-ended guitar comes across loud and, well, loud while drums and bass stab and punctuate underneath. Suddenly all stops as a lone note drones from the guitar. Then it happens, and before you know it opening track Chester Lampwick is over.

Over the course of the next 6 minutes, ENTS rarely repeats a chorus. They’re self defined as “flower violence,” a mix of emo and power violence, with traces of hardcore and screamo acts like Orchid, but like their power violence roots suggest, are incredibly raw and unpolished. Their entire discography, last added to with Live at The A-FRAME – 2/17/12, doesn’t fill 30 minutes, and it doesn’t need to. Much like their songs, nothing is ever around for long. Appreciate it while it’s there, and go grab the free download of Demo from their Bandcamp page.

For fans of: Orchid, Pageninetynine, Human Remains

Like ENTS? give these a listen: Busted Chops, Cheap Art, Nermal