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The Blackout Argument

Detention

Written by: PP on 21/10/2011 17:30:12

Munich's The Blackout Argument haven't fared too well in our previous reviews of their debut and sophomore albums, respectively, but their third outing "Detention" demonstrates a noticeable improvement from the cliché emocore-metalcore hybrid sound they have been plagued with in the past. Not that the band have changed much soundwise, still unashamedly copying the emotional hardcore of Boysetsfire throughout the album, but they have finally clicked as songwriters and have written an album's worth of catchy songs in a genre that feels more than just a little dated in 2011.

"Detention" still bases its entire sound on the hardcore-based emo of Boysetsfire, where melodic guitars that border on metalcore provide the fluid background for alternating piercing screams and strained clean vocals. But as songs like "High Treason On Your Own" and "Satisfying Angst" (featuring Andrew Neufeld from Comeback Kid) show, The Blackout Argument have learned to write songs that are more catchy than they are cliché. You can still argue that they lack the same emotional urgency that made Boysetsfire the seminal unit that they are today, but at least the songs on "Detention" are bringing the band closer to that point, with plenty of promising songwriting and memorable vocal melodies to affix the album to your memory for at least short periods of time.

The weepy clean melodies are well executed, the dynamic between emo/metalcore sounds good, and the guitar riffs are interesting enough to avoid the trap of being stock metalcore, but yet something's missing from "Detention". I can't help but return to the problem of emotional intensity, which The Blackout Argument are lacking in heaps and bounds, leaving their expression sounding a little bit flat and uninteresting in the long run. The urgency (the in-your-face part) and immediacy is not quite at the level that it should be, however, if you are able to ignore those, then "Detention" will be a decent alternative for any Boysetsfire fan while they're waiting for their inevitable new album given their recent reunion.

Download: High Treason On Your Own, Satisfying Angst, Untied Lone Wolves
For the fans of: Boysetsfire, A Static Lullaby, Fire In The Attic
Listen: Soundcloud

Release date 04.02.2011
Redfield Records

High Treason On Your Own by theblackoutargument