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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review



Auburn
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth EP

Album length: 5 tracks
Street Date: January 13, 2009


Auburn, a new artist on Blue Duck Records (hopefully a Billy Madison reference), hails from the state of Massachusetts. But upon listening to even just the first few seconds of their new EP, titled Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, you would be more apt to guess that they would be from Georgia, Mississippi, or somewhere at least near there. The EP has a huge southern metal sound, resembling bands like Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Once Nothing (more so the former).

EP opener "Waking Snakes" starts off with that Maylene sound. Some heavy guitars and drums serve as the background for a southern rock-style guitar lick, while the vocals focus on a mix of guttural screams and half-screaming/half-singing. The style continues on throughout the rest of the EP. "Like Trying To Kiss A Freight Train" even offers a cowbell-laden intro. A very big highlight of the album is Auburn's ability to throw in some heavy metal breakdowns. A lot of "Wise Guys" consists of breakdowns, and they're a very beautiful thing. The album finisher, "Party Song," really is a party of sorts. It's hectic and slightly chaotic, but structured. The pace changes quite frequently, particularly in the first minute and a half of the song.

Auburn keeps the focus of their lyrics directed toward God. In "Like Trying To Kiss A Freight Train," the chorus (which is coming from God's perspective) says, "Don't run away My child, come back in My arms, I know you may stumble, I won't let you fall." With lots of new artists making their appearance in the metal genre, it's nice to see that - in the midst of the ones that don't - we're still going to get those bands that keep their attention on the Creator.

This EP isn't anything new, but it's certainly good. Lots of bands are making their way in the music biz with this particular sound nowadays, and some of them just can't pull it off. Auburn, however, is able to do it and make it sound great. Once they get enough for a full-length record, it should be nothing short of goodness all the way through. They've given us a small taste of what they can do, and now anyone who listens to Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth will have high expectations for their first full-length. The only thing I ask for differently next time around is to stay away from the supposed-to-be-cute-but-thought- provoking Christian slogans (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is an acronym for BIBLE, if you hadn't caught that yet). So long as they stay away from anymore of that, everything else they do in the future should be great.

- Review date: 1/18/09, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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. Record Label: Blue Duck Records
. Album length: 5 tracks
. Street Date: January 13, 2009
. Buy It: Blue Duck Records

  1. Waking Snakes
  2. Burning Bridges
  3. Like Trying To Kiss A Freight Train
  4. Wise Guys
  5. Parysong

 

 

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This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



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