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Steming from the confines of a little town called Ooltewah, Tennessee comes a post-hardcore band by
the name of Within. Consisting of three brothers (KC, Chris, and Chad Whitaker) and a
couple of friends (Zak Willbanks and Andy Goodner), this band at times sounds like a "been there, done
that" act, but has potential to grow in their genre of music. Their latest EP Wherefore Have Thy
Servants Set My Field On Fire almost sounds like it was recorded in a matter of hours or more like
a band trying to squeeze in as many songs as possible within a time frame of just over 12 minutes.
Nevertheless, you can't blame Within for striving their best to put their hearts into their lyrics
and music. The album opener "Whatever It Takes to Get You Moving" is a sonic blaze of heavy, crunchy
guitar riffs and screaming vocals that ends with a delightful acoustic guitar solo. The next track,
"Adoration is Not a Crime," begins as more of an emo-type number and has the vocalist singing with
unabridled passion with words like, "I don't know who I'm fighting for, we forgot everything we knew, we
never thought we'd make it out this far." The final track "Caravan to the Promised Land" almost
sounds like a cross between the bands Hot Hot Heat and Story of the Year. The one thing that this EP
suffers from is a lack of substance, but it is far from being a total letdown.
Although they are not a band that could easily draw attention from labels like Tooth and Nail and
Epic Records, Within is a band that one could see as an opening band for a big name act like Underoath
or Dead Poetic. In a few years these guys may have what it takes to run with bands like Demon Hunter,
Still Remains, or Avenged Sevenfold.
- Review date: 10/25/05, written by Paul Portell
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