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| For The Fans, By The Fans. Look Beyond The Mainstream. |
| Written By TONY ROWE Published: April 17, 2012 |
| ©Copyright 2009-2012 Out Of The Blue Publications |
| local scene: PHOTOGRAPHY INTERVIEWS CONCERT REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS INDEPENDENT FILM |
| national scene: PHOTOGRAPHY INTERVIEWS CONCERT REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS INDEPENDENT FILM |
Not very often a band that wasn’t on my radar appears to catch my full,
undivided attention. Shook Like Dead Men happen to be that band. They came
out of nowhere and grabbed my ear. Hailing from southern Ohio, my home
state, means a lot to me. Mainly because the Ohio scene is on fire these days,
so to be a band from Ohio and catch my ear speaks volumes to the overall
talent and sound of the band. The band has such a Norma Jean sound that it’s
refreshing to break away from the breakdown, metal core oriented world in
which I constantly dwell.
The Unworthy EP comes in guns 'a blazing like an action movie mid-fight scene.
The first track is called “The Lone Wolfe,” and it brings it in every sense of the
words. Sounding like an older Norma Jean track, its overall theme is just straight
to the point and in your face, which seems to be a very recurring theme of Shook
Like Dead Men’s sound.
“The Lawyer, The Politician, and the Priest,” and the track “Ms. Iscariot Pt. II”
both have a newer Norma Jean or Every Time I Die meets The Chariot feel to
them. The band’s sound is very driving and guitar driven, and that's weird to say
with very few breakdowns, or as I think of breakdowns in this EP.
The EP keeps a very consistent sound and it’s tough to not listen to this band
and say “wow, is that the new Norma Jean album?”, because it truly sounds like
it could be. To me that speaks to the immense sound and talent contained on
this CD--the track “The Man Upstairs” is one of the best examples of this sound
in full force. Incredibly, the more I hear of this band the more I wish I was signing
this band to my own management company and artist development deal, they
have something special with this EP.
Another track bursts in like a home invasion, that’s how this CD flows, it is just
relentless and pounding. “Die-Agra” is another one of my favorite tracks on this
CD and it shows some of the slower parts that the band writes and how they
can seamlessly blend those parts into a song that comes in throwing brutality
everywhere.
SLDM show that they mean business and that their style is meant to grab your
attention and keep it right here and very focused, on the edge of your seat
waiting for that next note like it was the most amazing thing to happen in music
since the arrival of The Beatles to America.
The last two tracks really tie the CD up in a nice little neat brutal and deadly
package. “Shelby the Conqueror” and “Warren Peace” again sound very Norma
Jean like, but they have a very middle of the road Norma Jean sound. Brutal, yet
still have slow dragging parts and then burst through with screeching guitar parts
and snap you right back to reality. Amazing is truly the only word that crosses
my mind in this journey with Shook Like Dead Men.
Coming into this review I knew nothing of this band, or their sound. Let me tell
you if I wasn’t paying attention before, I sure the hell am now. One of the few
EP’s I have heard in a while that will be in regular rotation on my music playlists,
which as you can imagine are extensive. And at the end of the year this EP will
make my Top Five EP’s of 2012 list.
I am highly thrilled to have had a chance to listen to and review this CD and
Shook Like Dead Men got a fan from this one. Their sound, although not new, is
refreshing in a world of sometimes drab metal core. It’s nice to take a break and
hear something that will smash your face in a Norma Jean style. I highly
recommend if you like Norma Jean, Underoath, Every Time I Die, The Bled,
The Chariot, or Stray from the Path, listen to SLDM and love every second of it
because it’s worth all the time you will be investing. Truly amazing.
Rating:
Reverbnation
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undivided attention. Shook Like Dead Men happen to be that band. They came
out of nowhere and grabbed my ear. Hailing from southern Ohio, my home
state, means a lot to me. Mainly because the Ohio scene is on fire these days,
so to be a band from Ohio and catch my ear speaks volumes to the overall
talent and sound of the band. The band has such a Norma Jean sound that it’s
refreshing to break away from the breakdown, metal core oriented world in
which I constantly dwell.
The Unworthy EP comes in guns 'a blazing like an action movie mid-fight scene.
The first track is called “The Lone Wolfe,” and it brings it in every sense of the
words. Sounding like an older Norma Jean track, its overall theme is just straight
to the point and in your face, which seems to be a very recurring theme of Shook
Like Dead Men’s sound.
“The Lawyer, The Politician, and the Priest,” and the track “Ms. Iscariot Pt. II”
both have a newer Norma Jean or Every Time I Die meets The Chariot feel to
them. The band’s sound is very driving and guitar driven, and that's weird to say
with very few breakdowns, or as I think of breakdowns in this EP.
The EP keeps a very consistent sound and it’s tough to not listen to this band
and say “wow, is that the new Norma Jean album?”, because it truly sounds like
it could be. To me that speaks to the immense sound and talent contained on
this CD--the track “The Man Upstairs” is one of the best examples of this sound
in full force. Incredibly, the more I hear of this band the more I wish I was signing
this band to my own management company and artist development deal, they
have something special with this EP.
Another track bursts in like a home invasion, that’s how this CD flows, it is just
relentless and pounding. “Die-Agra” is another one of my favorite tracks on this
CD and it shows some of the slower parts that the band writes and how they
can seamlessly blend those parts into a song that comes in throwing brutality
everywhere.
SLDM show that they mean business and that their style is meant to grab your
attention and keep it right here and very focused, on the edge of your seat
waiting for that next note like it was the most amazing thing to happen in music
since the arrival of The Beatles to America.
The last two tracks really tie the CD up in a nice little neat brutal and deadly
package. “Shelby the Conqueror” and “Warren Peace” again sound very Norma
Jean like, but they have a very middle of the road Norma Jean sound. Brutal, yet
still have slow dragging parts and then burst through with screeching guitar parts
and snap you right back to reality. Amazing is truly the only word that crosses
my mind in this journey with Shook Like Dead Men.
Coming into this review I knew nothing of this band, or their sound. Let me tell
you if I wasn’t paying attention before, I sure the hell am now. One of the few
EP’s I have heard in a while that will be in regular rotation on my music playlists,
which as you can imagine are extensive. And at the end of the year this EP will
make my Top Five EP’s of 2012 list.
I am highly thrilled to have had a chance to listen to and review this CD and
Shook Like Dead Men got a fan from this one. Their sound, although not new, is
refreshing in a world of sometimes drab metal core. It’s nice to take a break and
hear something that will smash your face in a Norma Jean style. I highly
recommend if you like Norma Jean, Underoath, Every Time I Die, The Bled,
The Chariot, or Stray from the Path, listen to SLDM and love every second of it
because it’s worth all the time you will be investing. Truly amazing.
Rating:
Reverbnation
| Home > Album Reviews > Shook Like Dead Men: The Unworthy EP |
| Band: Shook Like Dead Men Album: The Unworthy EP (Pinnacle Studio) Location: Portsmouth, Ohio Genre: Hardcore |
