Bad Case of Big Mouth

Break It to Build It

Written by: MAK on 11/11/2016 16:54:07

Since forming in New Jersey in late 2010, Bad Case of Big Mouth has gone about combining hook-heavy pop-punk with ferocious metalcore injections, bolstering their melodic sound with assertive hardcore influences. Despite the band's relative youth, Bad Case are already a seasoned festival outfit, having played Skate and Surf, two Bamboozle Fests and The Vans' Warped Tour on four separate occasions. The east coast quintet was also excited when they signed to Manic Kat Records, who released their most recent EP. "Break It to Build It", which dropped back in August.

Now the problem with mixing metalcore and pop-punk is that every band that tries it now sounds like every other easycore band and their pioneers, A Day To Remember. Most of them lack the variation from formula or more notably, vocal capabilities that switch between the bittersweet bubblegum singing and vicious shouts. It’s really starting to become a case of “once we’ve heard one, we’ve heard them all”. We certainly heard it with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! And New Reason’s latest releases.

With that sentiment aside, “Break It to Build It” is still a solid release, laced with positive energy from the start. Opener track, “We Wasted The Good Surprise On You”, kicks off with pop-punk hooks and bouncy riffs leading into some crunchy shreds. Vocals switch between the trademark chirpy melodies and aggressive shouts. The bridge is then a breakdown filled monster, with the opener showcasing all the elements that Bad Case are about. Not that I’m at all surprised by any of it. From the overly happy “Woah” chants to the bone crushing beatdowns.

“What A Save” picks up with more of an aggressive start, designed to open pits, opening with down tuned riffs, double beat blasts and more of those brutal shouts. It’s a relentless way to start the song, though only a minute into the track we return to the cheery attitude. It’s a Jekyll and Hyde moment that comes out of nowhere, making each extreme of hard-hitting metalcore and infectious melodies stand out strong against each other. The chorus of “Don’t goo-oooh” sticks strongly in your head.

The formula remains the same throughout the remainder of the EP that nothing truly pricks your ears. These are five tracks that don’t break from the model of chirpy meets aggressive tones, for once I’m almost disappointed there isn’t the typical slow burner just to offer something different. Each song is well written but I’m left feeling that this is just all too much of the same. At least with ADTR we get a mixture of formulas, all out heavy, all out pop-punk, a combination of both and something a bit slower to give the listener a break.

“Build It to Break It”, much like New Reason’s “Air Gun” just takes me back to 2009. The peak of when the likes of A Day To Remember and Four Year Strong were growing internationally along with easycore. Everything from this release points to influence from those two bands and emulates them to the letter. They do a good job of doing that, but it doesn’t make them stand out against their peers. With this release, Bad Case are just another ADTR or Four Year Strong, just another Chunk! or New Reason. These are good songs but I find it really difficult to differentiate them from other bands like them.

Download: Take Off, What a Save, We Wasted The Good Surprise On You
For The Fans Of: Four Year Strong, A Day To Remember, New Reason, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 19.08.2016
Manic Kat Records



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