Artist Info:Discography Album length: 8 tracks: 33 minutes, 10 seconds Street Date: June 27, 2007
Swedish hardcore act turned rock band Blindside started gaining significant exposure in the U.S. with the release of their
album Silence several years ago. As they've traded all-screaming for a healthy mixture of Christian Lindskog's versatile
singing abilities with the expected screams, Blindside has found a more unique sound for themselves. With the release of The Great Depression
two years ago, the band boldly risked their popularity by creating their most diverse and moody project to date. The style and themes of
the album lived up to its title, and it became a hard pill to swallow for those who've come to like their harmonic and melodic
sound. The Great Depression was a mixed bag, still possessing some strong cuts, but ultimately was a great disappointment.
Sometime between the release of The Great Depression and now, Blindside's label decided it was time for the partnership
with the band to end, and the guys were on their own musically. From this new development comes The Black Rose EP, a collection
of five brand new songs with three live cuts, all released independently, digitally, by the band themselves. The new tracks are a blend
of the sound established with The Great Depression, exploring the sort of anti-melodic, sort of dissonant composition, while mixing in a bit
of what they've done prior to that. Opening with "The Way You Dance," the EP kicks off aggressively with the quirky anthem, and moves
forward with the Jonezetta-like "Slow Motion." The greatest change in the music is while it's still somewhat frenetic, it's ultimately
not nearly as dreary and melancholic. The new tracks get increasingly melodic as it progresses, with "Pretty Nights" and "The Color of My Eyes"
standing out from the four new rockers. The title track is a beautiful acoustic ballad that is possibly the strongest song of the eight included,
harkening back to the vibe of "Roads" and "Silence" from previous efforts. Lyrically, the new songs are about as ambiguous and metaphorical
as can be, so don't expect clear-cut spirituality on this EP. The last three tracks are all live versions of selections
from The Great Depression, with "My Alibi" being the weakest of the trio. It's great to hear some live cuts, but given how
rough the vocals play out, you really need to see the band's live performance to appreciate it. A few of the stronger cuts from
their previous records would have been a nice choice instead, but "Fell In Love With The Game" and "When I Remember" were the
best The Great Depression had to offer, so they are a good addition here.
The Black Rose EP is a step in the right direction for this rock quartet. Offering fans a little bit of everything
they've done in the past few years, the new material can be most accurately compared to the style of The Great Depression,
with a much more positive display. At eight tracks for only five dollars, it's a good deal - plus the band gets all the proceeds
with no label serving as a middleman. With a new, full-length record projected for early 2008, The Black Rose EP is a fine
appetizer to tide us over.
- Review date: 7/5/07, written by John DiBiase
Record Label: (independent)
Album length: 8 tracks: 33 minutes, 10 seconds
Street Date: June 27, 2007
Buy It:BlindsideOnline.com
Record Label: (independent)
