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Artist |
Ensign |
| Title |
The Price of Progression |
| Label |
Nitro Records |
| Reviewer |
Vinnie Apicella |
| Rating |
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Can you put a price on progression? Funny, what one person might think
as "progression" could be completely opposed to another's. For
instance, if we're talking "progression" for a Punk or Hard-Core act,
it's basically signifying the death knell -- goodbye credibility, goodbye
cruel world. Now then... "progressive" in the literal sense, well now we're
into a whole other dimension of sight and sound. I know this is Ensign's
second release for Nitro. I think the first one was good but without
swearing to such a statement bold as that, I'll go on record to say that
this one's probably better -- and that's only judging by what I'm hearing
in the early going. They've got this knack for doing some highly
melodic guitar stuff -- big on the almighty riff, high on harmonics and
altogether catchy while sacrificing little in the way of catharsis.
They're an east-coast street Punk throwback for those in the know, very
quick, maybe a wee bit angry and altogether breakneck. I'm getting a
lot of Anti-Flag meets Anti-Heroes meets Anti-whatever the fuck else you
wanna throw in there. Now to be sure, we're not getting bombarded with
your average run of the mill Chuck Taylor all-stars with the crimped
do's and a hotwire fetish for teen beat, this is pretty intense -- let's
throw The Nerve Agents into the mix of styles while we're at it -- don't
know why, just sounds like they fit. Technically they do, both are
eager to do away with even the faintest semblance of human frailty.
Okay, now I got it... Stretch Armstrong -- these guys remind me of them to a
"t." or maybe the other way around as it were, who knows? But there's
a highly agreeable mix of power, speed, melody and bleeding and buried
vocals that'll have little problem inciting a riot in your audio
channels.
Best of the lot in no specific or verifiable order belong to,
"The Spark," "Black Clouds vs. Silver Linings," "Absolute Zero," and
"Grasping at Straws." to name a few. Self-help they ain't,
self-healing... now maybe that's another story. This should be pretty big
time for these guys -- and rest assured Hard-Core purists and death before
dishonor quarry workers, they won't earn a fuckin' dime!
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© 2001 AMZ/music-reviewer.com Robert R. Lewis
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