Review Summary: Dear Mr Crafter...
Dear Mr Crafter
My name is Michael, 14 years old and have just gotten a girlfriend as a result of looking cool while listening to your band really loudly on my (Official) Ipod headphones. I just wanted to say that I simply loved your latest album, 'The Long Way Home'. It gives me everything I could ever want. It's heavy (Although not quite as heavy as Heavy Devy is Heavy though... or my favourite band, 'As Blood Runs Black'), breakdown-ey, contains enough mainstream alienating screaming to keep me happy while having enough effects laden, clean sung choruses to make my girlfriend like you as well. And, to be honest, I didn't really like your first EP that much. It was way too soft and harmonisey - But, I am glad you've improved with Cancer and your most recent album.
I am so happy that you made your album as heavy as it is. Even though everyone else has already done it, and it tends to wash out the mix for a few seconds, and it doesn't work on my crappy compressed speakers, I love how you use bass drops to give that extra 'umph' to your breakdowns. When combined with your low growls and bomb-string style drop tunings, these moments leave me flabbergasted, and yet, wanting more. Also, I can't get enough of your solo screaming moments. Every time I listen to 'I Created This Horror' I jump up on the nearest piece of furniture and scream "I Don't Give A.......(Wait for it).......***!!!!" So much fun. To me, that is soooo much more brutal than 'Retrace The Steps'. And, in contrast, I really like your singing on this album. I didn't know you were so good at it. If you decide to reply to my letter, can you provide me with some techniques so I can also cut ALL the bass out of my singing voice.
I also really like your riffs, or are they your band's riffs (who cares)? I really liked the one on Gimme A.D.D where it goes baah-bah-bah- bah-bah- bah-bah---- bah-bah- bah-bah- bah-bah-baah! But, if you want some advice, I think you should just completely dump the harmonising clean guitars. They're the only thing holding you back from hardcore greatness, after all, how many other Australian Hardcore bands do it? Not many, as far as I can tell. So, I feel that, If you had removed the harmonised clean guitar sections from your breakdowns, you could have potentially written one of the best hardcore albums ever ('Converge' would have nothing on you).
While my criticisms of your album are a little harsh, I really really like it. I was actually really concerned when I heard that you had formed a band, and written an EP which wasn't as heavy as your 'I Killed The Prom Queen' stuff. But I am glad that you ditched that crap in favour of the metalcore you are producing now. Thank you so much for your most recent contribution to our local hardcore/metalcore scene. Don't ever change!
I look forward to hearing back from you
Yours Sincerely
Michael
