Description
Prior to the release of their own debut, The Neon Handshake, it must have been a bittersweet experience for Hell Is for Heroes to watch kindred spirits Hundred Reasons crack the UK Top 40, securing their critical position with a superb debut album. On one hand, it no doubt gave them hope that their own brand of intelligent, impassioned, post
Prior to the release of their own debut, The Neon Handshake, it must have been a bittersweet experience for Hell Is for Heroes to watch kindred spirits Hundred Reasons crack the UK Top 40, securing their critical position with a superb debut album. On one hand, it no doubt gave them hope that their own brand of intelligent, impassioned, post-emo breast beating could enjoy a similar fate. But on the other, they probably worried they were a crucial twelve months behind the zeitgeist. With two of Symposium in their ranks, they surely know how important timing can be in rock. Inevitably, The Neon Handshake is an extremely accomplished album that lurks a little too self-consciously in the shadow of Ideas Above Our Station. Songs such as "Out of Sight" and "Cut Down" follow the British post-hardcore model to the letter, lurching and screaming in all the familiar places. Far more affecting are the songs that strive to reach some kind of maturity. "Disconnected" is slight and subtle, while the singles "I Can Climb Mountains" and the particularly excellent "Night Vision" show an encouraging ability to layer musical and emotional tension. It's not quite the startling album that was hoped for then, but far worse debuts have led on to earth-shattering careers. --Ian Watson
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Track listing1. Five kids go
2. Out of sight
3. Nightvision
4. Cut down
5. Few against many
6. Three of clubs
7. I can climb mountains
8. Disconnector
9. You drove me to it
10. Slow song
11. Sick/Happy
12. Retreat
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2 votes
Guilty Pleasures
(15 items) by Grand Assault
Last updated 1 year, 8 months ago  3 comments
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This album is for heroes!
I couldn't care much for the band, what they're doing now and whatever they released after, but this album just struck a chord with me. Like so many ten-a-penny bands from back in the day, you probably had to be there at the time to be able to enjoy it anymore. It's about 99% Nostalgia, 1% Good music fuelling my love for this record.
Rating : 7/10