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Benton Falls

Guilt Beats Hate
2003
Deep Elm

Benton Falls - Guilt Beats Hate (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Scott
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Deep Elm Records (Logo)

Published on April 18th 2003

With all the recent speculation about Benton Falls breaking up, I can only hope that for all of our sakes, they reconsider and stick it out. Why? Because this album rocks, plain and simple.

Benton Falls is a trio of men from Santa Rosa, CA, and these guys make a lot of sound. My first impression of this CD was "wow, this is loud." I assumed there would be, if nothing else, at least two guitar players. I was wrong. Singer Michael Richardson covers all guitar duties, and this guy can shred. The sheer power brought forth by his six-string puts me in awe at times on this album. Knowing that he does all the singing [and occasional screaming, too] only makes me hold his talent in a higher regard.

Look at me, I'm jumping ahead - you don't even know what the band sounds like! Well for starters, it's on Deep Elm.

Okay, now that 90% of you have already scrolled to the bottom of the review to leave some comment like "emo blowz! bye the new racnid album!!!@$@(*$&#$," I'll address the rest of you who don't always write off bands based on a label association. Yes, this is stereotypically "emo" music. No one involved with this album will deny that. But this album is definitely in the upper echelon of what Deep Elm has been releasing lately [Brandtson? Please. If I wanted to hear Midtown, I'd listen to my Midtown CDs]. Richardson's voice is more unique than it is generically whiny, although his tone does strike a familiarity within me. I can't recall who he sounds like, but I know I like it. And, while the lyrics are your basic Deep Elm "I'm depressed, I miss you, I'm dying, etc." fodder, Richardson actually pulls off lines like "January's cold / but February's colder" with a level of sincerity not seen since Sunny Day Real Estate. The band also sparingly uses the idea of screaming in some of the tracks. Scattered throughout the album, it helps more than hinders, as you never really get sick of it.

So who does the band sound like? For Deep Elm comparisons, think of the intensity of Planes Mistaken For Stars coupled with the creativity of the Appleseed Cast [their earlier work, in particular]. If I were to venture outside the Deep Elm umbrella, I'd say that people who were into Thursday before they were on M2 [basically anyone who was suckered into paying 15 bucks for the CD when it first came out, only to find it selling for $6.99 a year later because they were a "new artist"] would appreciate the talent of this band. Like I said before, this is a stereotypically "emo" sound, and I'm getting fed up with the copycats as much as anyone, but this record is one of the diamonds you should try to discover, not one of the chunks of coal you pitch to the side.

MP3s
This Housecall Could Kill [full]
Bitter By Choice [clip]
Trial and Terror [clip]
Angel on Hiatus [clip]
Like Portraits on Walls [clip]
Defining the Warm-Up [clip]



People who liked this also liked:
Engine Down - DemureLifetime - Jersey's Best DancersThe Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!Hot Water Music - A Flight and a CrashRx Bandits - The ResignationAlkaline Trio - GoddamnitEvery Time I Die - Hot Damn!Descendents - Milo Goes To CollegeJawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge TherapyRefused - The Shape of Punk to Come



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    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 at 7:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I talked to Michael at a New Trust show the other night, and he is just the coolest guy ever. Nice as can be and just shreds on guitar. Holy crap he was impressive. He seemed out of place not fronting the band though. Get both this CD and The New Trust's 8 song EP. Absolutely great music coming from both bands.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 at 8:03 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    how many scotts do we have on this site in the posts below i counted 3 different ones

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 21, 2003 at 11:47 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i was actually suckered into buying the Thursday CD for $9, before they got big, and before I discovered that every last one of their songs sound the fucking same. I'll never forgive those little cocksuckers...
    --Cos

    Posted by soulbleed on 2003-04-21 23:17:47
    My Score:

    that was actually pretty funny. but no

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 21, 2003 at 3:38 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    I love that first comment,leave Scott to review what needs to be heard. Benton Falls rocks, soulbleed should read a review like this, please for the sake of all of us never let that guy review again, I want to take all his sadcore music and wipe my arse with it.

    Posted by TheBouncingSoul on 2003-04-21 01:43:20
    My Score:

    agreed...benton falls is great, i hope they didnt break up

    Posted by hungryjoe on 2003-04-21 00:52:08
    My Score:

    amg actually says "Best record ever on Deep Elm? Pretty close."

    i'll have to check it out. i find amg to be pretty accurate and (relatively) unbiased in their reviews, although i don't agree with their "End Hits"-bashing.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 20, 2003 at 8:51 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    amg's critics describe this album as 'the best release on deep elm'

    Psh. I like Black Phantom Crusades (red animal war) better.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 20, 2003 at 5:44 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    amg's critics describe this album as 'the best release on deep elm' .. i tend to disagree, however - it's mighty fine. i really do like this band, and it was surprising to see an album that was actually up-to-par with 'fighting starlight' .. props to this band for keeping it real, and props to anyone who listens to them. check out a band called 'the white octave' if you like this one - particularly their first.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 20, 2003 at 6:47 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Hot Topic is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT

    !!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 19, 2003 at 7:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Hot Topic is NOT NOT NOT owned by the gap. It's the biggest false rumor EVER.

    Posted by lieutenant on 2003-04-19 01:29:53
    My Score:

    This band is not bad. Original comment of the day, huh.

    Regardless, I will say that this was a great review, though. There are times when I log onto this website to read about bands I like or am curious about, and there are times when I just like enjoy the pleasure of reading. This fulfills that second desire with much satisfaction.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 19, 2003 at 1:00 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Id just like to say that the guy that said go buy a rancid CD is very intelligent! HAHA fuckers i used a big word im not just a stupid kid anymore huh

    -RaNcId PuNx

    Posted by Kurt_F on 2003-04-18 23:16:26
    My Score:

    Angel On Hiatus is my favorite song too, followed by The Race To Die and the second to last song...I forget it's name.

    Posted by maverick on 2003-04-18 21:01:39
    My Score:

    The Gap owns Hot Topic? I never knew that.

    -Scott

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 8:53 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Who cares? Hot Topic is owned by Gap, and sells all sorts of indie cds.

    -Scotty

    p.s. This cd is amazing. In my top 10 of this year fo sho. Angel on Hiatus is definitely the best song on the cd IMO.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 8:35 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    The Abercrombie thing piss you off? Hollister Co. (A sister store of Abercrombie) sells the following records in their shop -- Hot Hot Heat, Something Corporate, Dashboard Confessional, Juliana Theory, Jimmy Eat World, All-American Rejects, Weezer, Red Animal War, Alkaline Trio, Saves The Day, and I'm sure there are a few others that I'm forgetting...But yeah, maybe that'll fire your engines up.

    - Scott
    http://www.local-felons.com/
    (This should be cute)

    Posted by Kurt_F on 2003-04-18 16:52:26
    My Score:

    I love this band. Brandston=Midtown though? No.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 4:27 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    emo blowz! bye the new racnid album!!!@$@(*$&#$

    I couldn't help it... but really, these guys are not bad.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 4:10 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    abercrombie hosted some stuff by Kicked in the Head once. Why, i have no idea, but they did.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 2:42 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This CD makes me feel like im doing a front flip off of a 10 story building. Not a backflip, a front flip. Its not that great.

    -RaNcId PuNx

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 2:12 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Yeah, abercrombie seems to host a bunch of Deep Elm downloads.

    -MorphineSandwich

    Posted by StabbingGoldfish on 2003-04-18 13:42:18
    My Score:

    Did anyone else notice where the download for the first song leads you to? "anfdownloads.abercrombie.com" thats really wierd. The song is great though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 18, 2003 at 1:40 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "[Brandtson? Please. If I wanted to hear Midtown, I'd listen to my Midtown CDs]."
    Haha so true.
    Good band, good review.

    Posted by travis on 2003-04-18 13:11:24
    My Score:

    i agree with most of your review. This CD fucking shreds. I like it more than Fighting Starlight, and I love that cd.

    But seriously, I know you dont like Brandtson, but comparing them to midtown? Please, scott you know thats not valid.

    Great review otherwise. It would make me want to buy the cd if i didnt already have it.

    Posted by sloppyblake on 2003-04-18 12:54:36
    My Score:

    leave it to scott to review bands that need to be heard. props.