Review Summary: Catchy, modern post-hardcore done right.
Post-Hardcore is very prevalent today, and for the most part, the bands within the scene are musical carbon copies of each other. You recognize them: high pitched vocals, heavy guitars, and pop catchiness are all mandatory for an up and coming post-hardcore band. There are very few of these groups who execute this sound well. The Paramedic, hailing from Dayton, Ohio, are one of them. They provide more than flair and image. They provide a familiar, catchy, yet enjoyable sound that one can appreciate.
"Apollo" is a twenty two minute long EP with six tracks. All six tracks are catchy, creative, and straightforward. The musicianship is good, however the bass is inaudible unfortunately. I didn’t notice this until my third listen however, because I was captivated by the stellar vocal performances and dual guitars. The vocals provided by Brady Reis are top notch, and are a definite highlight throughout the EP. His lyrics are also quite impressive and thought provoking. The themes often refer to Greek mythology, as well as problems within our society. In 'Where’s the Fire?' Brady proclaims :
‘I must be a God.
I kill,
I destroy,
I steal,
And nothing happens to me.’
The band play straightforward modern post-hardcore, but they also mix a few elements within to keep it unique and interesting. In 'Young Love In The Garden' a soft jazz guitar solo floats pleasantly above the verse. An enjoyable guitar solo is also found in 'Where’s the Fire?'. The band uses interesting pop hooks and sing-alongs that give the music a very pop-rock sound to it at times, and fortunately, few breakdowns are used. The only one (present in 'Explorers') utilizes dual lead vocals, and doesn’t sound forced.
Overall, The Paramedic have tons of potential. I believe they may have to branch out a bit more in order to keep things interesting, but with their debut "Apollo", they have managed to be unique and interesting. They show that they aren’t just another replica of the scene, and that they have what it takes to make good music.
Good for a first dude. It's quite short though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you can fully critique the album. Maybe you could add another paragraph describing the music in more detail. What band could you compare this to?
I agree with adding a paragraph of description, or work on doing that more concisely (which can be difficult).
I don't like the intro either (anything "genre name is a such and such genre that blah blah blah" is lame imo), but I find them to be the hardest part so it's not necessarily a huge deal.
awesome thanks man. i hope more people will check this out. at least go to their myspace and listen to a few tracks. If I had to pick one, I'd pick 'Young Love In The Garden' or 'A Thousand Ships' to listen to for a genral feel.
