REVIEW FOR FEBUH 1BAH, 2004JEY

CRESTFALLEN
CRESTFALLEN
ROBOTIC EMPIRE, 2003
 
Based on what I've heard of Crestfallen's work (in particular the track off the Robotic Empire sampler CD I reviewed earlier this year), I thought this EP was going to kick ass.  Turns out I was fooled by the good song being sandwiched between two crappy ones.  Crestfallen plays grind-influenced punk with these irritating screeched vocals and some melodicism.  I'm irritated by bands like this.  This band is noisy and pit-friendly and grindy and shit, but I'm not sold on Crestfallen.  There's an intangible here that's missing, as if I'm expecting this to be more than what it is.  I imagine these guys are great live, but there wasn't anything to get me off the fence.  The band sounds too distant, too detached, for me.  Don't get me wrong, Crestfallen is tight and the music the band plays is vicious enough...but those fucking vocals.  I'm sorry, they're too high and too slight in the mix.  They're the atypical hardcore screams I've heard eight hundred times before and they grate on my nerves.  I'm sorry, but I just can't get into this album.  It's good enough, but nothing Crestfallen offers interests me in the slightest.
 
Also, why in the fucking hell is Crestfallen covering Minor Threat's "Minor Threat?"  Man, can we put a moratorium on covering songs from bands Ian MacKaye is involved in?  Hey, I've got an idea!  How about we cover Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks Fuck Off?"  Ohoh!  How about THE RAMONES?  OOH HOW ABOUT DEVO, TOO?  I HATE THOSE FAGS!  I ALSO HATE PATTI SMITH, THAT STUPID FUCKING WHORE God, I'm bored.  You may resume flaming me for my bad review.  I'll be out back in the hammock.
 
ROBOTIC EMPIRE
PO Box 4211
Richmond, VA 23220
USA
http://www.roboticempire.com/
[email protected]
 
CRESTFALLEN
[email protected]