FIGHTSTAR/ HOLLYWOOD ENDING/ CRY FOR SILENCE-
After queuing round the block to get into the opening night of Cambridge's plush new venue (yeah; it ain't half bad since you asked) I was met by noisy local-ish post-hardcore quintet, Cry For Silence. And I did. They call it "aggression and emotion". True; I did feel both aggressive and emotional after witnessing just half of their set. Nice tattoos though. Jazz RTC didn't like the bassist's hat from next band, Hollywood Ending. I didn't like his eyeliner. Or his band much. Also featuring an unhealthy obsession with wearing only the colour black, they are again post-hardcore (come to think of it, what the hell does that mean?). Still, they get seven out of ten for at least adding a bit of melody and a lot of effort to what they do. If you like Funeral for a Friend, you might just find them entertaining. Their new album, "Praying to Fiction" is available soon.
Though I think this is what sticks in the throat of most people familiar
with the music scene who are not knee-high to a grasshopper. Albeit
as commanding and powerful as any old emo band of the moment, the general
consensus seems to be a huge resentment that, while there are a lot
of struggling artists doing the same thing, these guys get that much
further because of their singer's shocking past. In their defence, it
does surprisingly work. Although at times fairly predictable, the poncey
jumping is replaced by beefy headbanging antics and the strong gravely
voice now shines, complimented by co-stars with the actual ability to
sing (often very high), scream (often very loudly) and thrash out the
big beasties of riffs, rhythms and harmonies which guarantee that a
sound (and frontman) so huge and impressive, though not groundbreaking,
simply cannot be ignored. All credit to them. Anna C, pix Adie Nunn |