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Emery

The Weak's End
2004
Tooth & Nail

Emery - The Weak's End (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Brian
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Published on January 27th 2004

Let's hope the title is right.

Emery craft reserved, emotional melodies with wailing guitars, layered harmonies, and a rising vocal line, with good shifts in tempo. Occasionally used, Emery will also bear exasperating screams with underlying, minute traces of abrupt riffing. Sound familiar? Probably, but it's not what you're thinking of. The band executes both styles well, there's no denying that; but often, they'll contrast entirely too much to work as a completed whole. The harder parts only carry a semblance of relevance, in that you may want to scream along with them, but right after, you're sort of deserted on a remote island. It's a literal juxtaposition that isn't so much saying "we have wild mood swings, so you better watch out after we miss our next medication dosage" as it is "we're not really sure what style we are, so we just did both." The pop parts aren't aggressive enough and the aggressive parts are too random.

Live, it must be a crowded stage. Emery boats a triple-guitar attack, but it's about as threatening as a Chihuahua injected with morphine. The effect is used more for environmental scene-setting than intricate, varied shredding. There is also a keyboardist, but it's rarely heard. Though its purpose is for a layer of depth rather than geek rock indulgence, it should've been not only used more but turned up in the mix too.

Although the disc is arguably consistent, there aren't any tracks that really stand out, or even significant moments for that matter...MAYBE the breakdown of "The Secret," if only because the vocalist (who thankfully avoids being nasally or whiny at all times) pulls off repeating "I still love you, I swear" without sounding too bitchy.

The band has definite talent, but are stuck in a middle ground. They need to decide whether they want to increase the tempo consistently and compose more intense (without being artificial or pretentious) orchestrations [Thursday], or piece together more intricate, harmonious, laid-back pop [Hey Mercedes]. The ability is there - if they use what they have and concentrate on one area more, they can create not only the bold anthem they're looking for, but a full-length album that doesn't keep wandering off into different directions. Emery may very well be at their weak's end already.

AUDIO
Listen to tracks 1 through 5 on this e-card.

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Posted by treos on 2006-07-22 23:54:17
My Score:

I enjoyed this cd a lot, it kinda took a few listens but a few of the songs are pretty catchy, for me its a go to cd whenever im not in the mood for anything really extreme (protest the hero, alexisonfire) and i just wanna listen. I think the review was kinda shitty, pretty biased and whatnot. Plus i think there are some major fags on this site that just look all the emo aspect punk cds anr rip them up w/o lissening to them becz they are not their "3 chord, anti government, anti bush, anti religeon, get a mohawk" crap punk that they usualy listen to

Posted by thedarrien on 2006-07-02 18:55:57

I really love this band. I think that both of their albums were pretty amazing, and I'm stoked to see them live next month. I do agree though, at some points the Weak's End did get a little boring, particularly in the middle. The first maybe 3 or 4 songs, and the last 3 or 4 songs were amazing, but the middle was a little...blah. The Question is definately the better of the two albums.

plus, they did a cover of Holding Out for a Hero. and it was good. Now, if that isn't badass, I don't know what is. :)

Posted by HeresLookinAtYou on 2006-04-04 10:55:32
My Score:

Musically, probably my biggest guilty pleasure

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 5:25 PM (EST)

I like 'em!

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 13, 2006 at 4:27 PM (EST)

csrew all who hate

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 9:07 PM (EDT)

emery is a real good band, i just saw them live at warped tour and that was amazing...

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 25, 2005 at 5:43 PM (EDT)
My Score:

The album itself is a little to.. boring as you said. WHile heavier songs like Walls, which is a great entrance to the CD, just seem better then the slower songs of the CDs.

But live they only have two guitar players.. not three. Halway through the set though, the guitar player decided he wanted to do lead vocals, and the vocalist wanted to do some rythm guitaring... and well, that's exactly what they did.

That was yesterday at Warped Tour in Minneapolis, so it's still fresh in my head. I just think Emery is better live, than on this CD.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 10:35 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I REALLY liked Emery until I saw an exerpt of them live, in which the guitarists were gleefully screaming, dancing, picking their noses, basically doing anything short of actually playing their instruments. Yeah, at one point they even swapped. I swearzorz!
All in all, the CD is "ok". I was certainly let down, as I was expecting a CD full of screamomyhearthurstiwannadiemocore-hits such as Walls (which roxors by boxorZ), but the album as a whole just doesn't hold. It sounds like a compilation of singles from 10 different albums (sorry, can't be bothered to check out how many tracks the CD actually has). Some of the songs are good, some are great, some are shite, but consistency doesn't seem to be this bands strong-point.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 11, 2005 at 8:25 AM (EDT)

Awesome sound, appealing lyrics, considerable sincerity
...yup, they've won me over.

Song 3: "DIGUISING MISTAKES WITH GOODBYES" has the best lyrics and vocals ...two stories at once!
Nice

Posted by insipidaspersions on 2004-12-14 16:59:01
My Score:

I saw them live and they were enjoyable so i picked this up. I like it. Nice melodies and the singer really does have a beautiful voice which is a relief considering what tooth and nail has been releasing lately.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 17, 2004 at 12:54 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Emery's album is kick ass. all of you who gave a bad review should just go listen to some of your gutter street punk music cause Emery is badass. Go and watch a live Emery show and you'll fall in love. Bitchin-awsomecore!

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 9, 2004 at 6:54 PM (EDT)
My Score:

emery si so sweet. pay attention to their lyrics they are awsome so good so good.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 1, 2004 at 2:13 AM (EST)
My Score:

I don't know what to think about these guys. They seem similar to the bands that all the 15 year olds dig these days, but they have something that catches my ear. This may not make me cool, but I just thought I'd share my feelings on my first listen. And if you hate it, go listen to some Refused, it'll clear your head of anything you don't like.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 31, 2004 at 11:37 PM (EST)
My Score:

scream, sing, scream, sing, scream, sing. Fuck you for making me listen to this shit. If you know its crap, just write, "It's crap dont listen." I want my 60 seconds back. You whore.
twat

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 29, 2004 at 5:04 PM (EST)
My Score:

this is just shitty. If this is what is great music in 2004 please shoot me.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 29, 2004 at 9:11 AM (EST)
My Score:

Tons better live.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 at 9:32 AM (EST)
My Score:

they are better than what the review says....hence cocksuckers in the previous post

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 10:38 PM (EST)
My Score:

my name is emery, that's pretty cool but by the looks of this band ain't so good.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 8:30 PM (EST)
My Score:

once again this website proves to have cock suckers reviewing cds

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 5:54 PM (EST)
My Score:

Score is for the cover art.

Posted by bluetunehead on 2004-01-27 16:05:34
My Score:

fractions has a cool ending. the album seems mediocre, but better than a lot of what Tooth and Nail puts out these days. the vocalist is surprisingly tolerable. rarely too whiny.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 2:04 PM (EST)
My Score:

"as your voice fades" is an amazing song...i have not heard the cd yet, but i liked all their demos long before they signed to tooth...so hopefully this will not disapoint

Posted by devildog1507 on 2004-01-27 10:12:38
My Score:

good review, besides Tooth & Nail is a shitty religious label. Go say your prayers