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Thursday

Kill The House Lights

Written by: PP on 16/01/2008 00:19:02

Thursday is a band that over the years has had huge influence on my listening habits. They were one of the first bands to introduce me to the emo/screamo scene with 2003's "War All The Time", and I soon figured out why: they were the best band in the genre at the time. So when you are reviewing a release by a band that has had so much influence on what you are listening to today, can you ever give out an objective review? I'm not sure, but I'll try. Oh, and in reality, "Kill The House Lights" is a CD/DVD combination, but I only happen to have the CD version of the release, which consists of three new tracks and a bunch of rarities, old demos and live tracks. So keep that in mind when reading this review.

Let it be no secret that I was absolutely not impressed by the band's latest album "A City By The Light Divided" compared to the 2003 masterpiece, although I do admit that it has grown on me a lot since my review. So automatically, I went into the CD with much enthusiasm and curiosity as to how we should expect the band to sound like on their next album. The three new tracks on the album each paint a very different picture, but when considered together, we should basically be expecting less "Signals Over The Air" and more "Counting 5-4-3-2-1" on their next album.

Geoff used to be such an amazing vocalist, being able to convey emotion so well with his throat-scratching screams and emotional clean croons all over the older records. I don't know what happened to him, but ever since "A City By The Light Divided" happened his voice has come across as tired, and what's worse, forced.

Still, some older fans might find refuge in the backup screaming that has returned to the new songs with a blast. There's plenty more, and it's of the kind that makes you wonder whether the screamer will ever be able to speak again after just one show.

But yet as the new songs are contrasted against the live versions of "Signals Over The Air" and "Steps Ascending", it's easy to ask whether Thursday has already peaked and are now destined to release mere average and slightly above-average screamo records (although with a slightly more artistic touch, one might add)?

A couple of songs like "The Roar Of Far Off Black Jets" are evidently demos/b-sides from the "War All The Time" by the sounds of it. It's painful listening to them, because that song alone matches, and perhaps even surpasses, almost all of those on the band's previous full length release. And it was left out as a b-side during the recording of "War All The Time".

To be fair, I'm giving a slightly too harsh image of the band right now, because in reality, "A City By The Light Divided" wasn't that bad when comparing it to the shit some of the other bands in the genre are putting out at the moment. Likewise, "Kill The House Lights" isn't really that bad at all. It's only real fault is that it's a bit of a turn-off for many "War All The Time" era fans, because it showcases a band on a downhill slope.

Download: The Roar Of Far Off Black Jets, Ladies And Gentleman: My Brother The Failure
For the fans of: Senses Fail, Finch, Emery
Listen: Myspace

Release date 30.10.2007
Victory Records