Touche Amore
...To the Beat of a Dead Horse


4.0
excellent

Review

by SeaAnemone USER (161 Reviews)
December 1st, 2009 | 432 replies


Release Date: 2009 | Tracklist

Review Summary: ... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse is short and sweet, yet refuses lose any passion in the process. Despite the minor fault of over-simplicity at points, Touche Amore’s debut full length is incredibly promising.

Touche Amore’s ... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse, is a record to take seriously. One look at the ominous cover can tell you that. A harrowing black and white cover complete with trite symbolism in the form of a foreboding rain cloud certainly displays a feeling of danger, ominousness, and even foreboding doom. Touche Amore are just one of the many recent bands to integrate emo and hardcore music. The most striking aspect is that no song hurdles the 3 minute mark. Short and pithy, ... To The Beat is a screamo-influenced modern hardcore record with a melodic twist. Too much genre?... my apologies, but ... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse really is a superb blend of genre-bending qualities.

It’s hard to separate this record from the anguish and agony (present on the cover, even) that bedevils the living daylights out of Touche Amore. From the lucid songwriting to the cathartic stops/starts, to the overall bluntness of this record, Touche Amore sound incredibly disturbed, in a good way. The screams are particularly poignant, as rather than furiously scream cryptically, frontman Jeremy howls his words slowly and comprehensibly. Jeremy isn’t he only voice in ... To The Beat, though. Thursday’s Geoff Rickly lends his voice on the melodic, “History Re***s Itself,” which works surprisingly well; along with an appearance from Modern Life Is War frontman, Jeffrey Eaton, later on.

The riffs reflect this quality of comprehensibility as the more prodding, deliberate guitar lines are evident rather than the usual intricacy associated with similar bands. Many times repetition is used among the screams, just take a listen to the end of “Cadence,” and the refrain of the title, “I am marching to the beat of a dead horse.” While it certainly focuses attention on the screaming, it feels like we’re missing out on a lost facet of the music, as the overly simplified guitars tend to fade into the background. In their place though, among the controlled yet chaotic screaming, is superb percussion. The drumming on ... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse is driving, violent, and forceful, and keeps the album moving swiftly and surely. The lyrics are often moving and passionate, and one of the album’s biggest strengths is Touche Amore’s uncanny ability to fit so much substance into such a small package. ... To The Beat’s exceptional brevity is on full display on one track in particular, “Nine.” Clocking in at 0:44, “Nine” is a testament to Touche Amore’s ability to fit so much lush emotion into such a little space...

“I'm biting the hairs on my arm like I do / when I don't know where I am or what I should do. / I've been blessed with these eyes that come with innocent questions, / like where I'm from, holding expectations / to give obvious answers and tell no lies. / But I swear there's nothing innocent in these eyes, / because I've seen dead friends, / and I've seen murder, / and I've done things I wish I hadn't done.”

... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse is short and sweet, yet refuses lose any passion in the process. Despite the minor fault of over-simplicity at points, Touche Amore’s debut full length is incredibly promising. Don’t be too intimidated by the ominous clouds overhead, ... To The Beat Of A Dead Horse is as rewarding as it is agonizing, and it’s pretty agonizing.



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3.9
excellent
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Comments:Add a Comment 
SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


Sorry if it's in bad taste to have 2 reviews up on the front page, but they're pretty far apart, nobody's reviewing today, and I've been anxious about this for a while.

MrHotMoms
December 2nd 2009


619 Comments


honest sleep and broken records made it to the full length but huckleberry didnt D:
i love huckleberry

MrHotMoms
December 2nd 2009


619 Comments


the new version of honest sleep is so amazing htough. the old one was meh but the new one is like WOW powerful shit right there.


YouAreMySilence
December 2nd 2009


3726 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Honest Sleep is def one of the best songs of the year imo.

I saw of them doing it live on their myspace, it was amazing.

MrHotMoms
December 2nd 2009


619 Comments


yeah this is almost defiently my album of the year

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


interesting... I can't decide if I like this better than Maths or Pianos Become the Teeth, my other '09 screamo lovers.

I think it goes
Maths
this
PBtT
...
but all very close

MrHotMoms
December 2nd 2009


619 Comments


i dont like maths that much

Observer
Emeritus
December 2nd 2009


9453 Comments


Hey man, that's another great review. I don't think I'll check this one out, but you have my vote for sure.

Electric City
December 2nd 2009


15756 Comments


i hate that you people are making me download so much skramz. this would be my third in 3 days but im going to let pianos become the teeth settle first after i burn out Elder

PuddlesPuddles
December 2nd 2009


4798 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Honestly didn't care for pianos become the teeth :/

But of all your reviews, Arnold, I enjoyed Empire! (album speaking, not review critiquing)

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


Elder was next on my list but I have a shit load of work to do in the next few days. uggghhhh pre-finals

Electric City
December 2nd 2009


15756 Comments


do not care

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


and I agree Puddles, out of the ones I've been doing lately Empires! is my favorite, you should DEFINITELY check out the bonus tracks on the Japenese Import version if you get the chance, they're excellent.

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


and adam, why are you being such a dow- I mean pessimist?

Electric City
December 2nd 2009


15756 Comments


why is that pessimistic i just want to read about Elder!

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


why don't you write it?

Electric City
December 2nd 2009


15756 Comments


cuz i dont wanna duh

SeaAnemone
December 2nd 2009


21429 Comments


ninos and golden flower are soooooooooooooo good. that good.

DiceMan
December 2nd 2009


7066 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Hmm. I will really have to download this. Puddles was right though, Empire! Had a phrnomonal release.

Electric City
December 2nd 2009


15756 Comments


ninos and golden flower are soooooooooooooo good. that good


Golden Flower isn't on Reflect it's off their self titled debut...



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