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Album Review

Burden of a Day

Oneonethousand (05.12.2009)

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“Post-hardcore Christian” music admittedly isn’t a genre I’m overly familiar with. But if this is a suitable example of a post-hardcore Christian album then someone get me a Fugazi shirt and a crucifix, because goshdarnit, I’m converted. Florida five-piece Burden of a Day formed in 2004 and in 2006 released their debut album. After an extensive run of live shows, they signed to Rise Records and released second album Blessed Be Our Ever After. Latest album OneOneThousand is their second Rise release, and first with new vocalist Kyle Tamosaitis after the departure of Kendall Knepp in 2008.

The album opens with “Remember”, a perfect introduction to the rest of the record. The first sound of the typical growly vocal we’ve come to expect from screamo bands is contrasted by the highly melodic lines which almost sound a little too much of a contrast to fit seamlessly in the song, but the main hook is catchy and every time it comes round just makes you want to sing along.

Track three, “The Mason” has some well placed “woah!”s that would ring out perfectly in a live setting, as would the half-time breakdown of “Isadora Duncan” which is just crying out for devil horn fingers pounding the air.

The dueling guitars and cymbal-filled drum parts are superbly arranged with plenty of rhythm changes that help to mix things up and keep it interesting, and create the ideal backdrop for the soaring vocals, and it’s really the vocal that really makes this record stand out. Tamosaitis’ singing voice often sounds like a mixture of Patrick Stump and Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria) which sounds like an odd mixture, especially in a hardcore band, but it works.

Although plenty melodic, the music is heavy enough not to lumber them in the same super-commercial Warped Tour-esque circle of Vans-wearing pop punk wannabes, and yet is still hard enough that you feel like you’re rocking out when you listen to it. Sure, there’s plenty of other bands that sound similar, but that doesn’t stop this being a great record worthy of any post-hardcore/Christian/rock/pop/punk music fan’s collection.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Remember
02. Fool Me Once
03. The Mason
04. Oceans
05. The Shame in Shedding Wool
06. Sly Foxes
07. Isadora Duncan
08. OneOneThousand
09. Modern Gentleman
10. My Forfeit

Run Time: 34:55

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