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Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell (Deluxe)
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This is a type of music that is hard to explain. It's fun. It's edgy. It's hardcore. It's poppy. It's almost everything that the punk world is all wrapped in one. Now, the question is whether or not this works. Well, in my opinion it does and it doesn't.

Some songs, like the killer first track Such A Tragedy it works amazingly well. The poppiness meeting the screams and the some what high pitched vocals that seem way too overdone as of late all mesh very well. But this doesn't work for them throughout the entire album. For The Taking is an example of this not working for them. It's not a crappy song, it just seems lacklustre compared to the calibre and energy of the first song. The harmonies are cliche and the production seems lacking as well, and is too long for the lack of energy and disappointing thought put into the song. Regrets and Romance is a solid effort, and changes paces very well; however the transitions from screaming to singing in some parts need to be polished. When Flying Feels Like Falling picks up where the opening track left off and uses an effective layering with background screaming and puts the singer more at the forefront. The final two songs are action packed with catchy harmonies and enough hooks to catch a twenty pound (insert big fish name here). In fact My Heart, Your Hands might very well be the best written song on this album with its nice hardcore breakdowns and heavy guitars.

These Florida boys have created a formula that can work for them. They need to harness what they've started and work with the good and throw out the bad. With their recent signing to Epitaph, we can expect big things from From First To Last.



People who liked this also liked:
From First To Last - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body CountLess Than Jake - AnthemAtreyu - A Death-Grip on YesterdayAtreyu - The CurseNOFX - Wolves in Wolves' ClothingFuneral For A Friend - HoursAiden - Nightmare AnatomyFrom First to Last - HeroineScary Kids Scaring Kids - The City Sleeps In FlamesMest - Destination Unknown



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    Posted by life-is-fucking-joke on 2007-02-15 08:31:40
    My Score:

    my fav. cd by them

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-07-26 12:16:47
    My Score:

    I just listened to this and it's soooooooooo generic, yet soooooooo much better than what the band went on to do.

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-05-16 13:20:30

    This could be good.

    Sonny isn't on vocals.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 2, 2006 at 7:24 PM (EST)

    I just went to your guys's show you guys are so awsome
    live........ Skew all the other shit heads who say crap about you!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 2, 2006 at 7:22 PM (EST)

    I love fftl they freakn rock

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 6:51 PM (EDT)

    What poppy. This isn't poppy. This is some sweet Scremo shit! It's a sweet CD!

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 6:49 PM (EDT)

    This is a really good CD. I enjoined it. They did a awesome job with the lyrics.

    Now, How can you people be so god damn negitive? If you didn't like it then shut the fuck up! People who do appreciate this band don't want to read some bullshit cause you have no tast.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 at 11:40 PM (EDT)

    you guys are fags screamo is god fuck off and die you jocko wanna bes

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 23, 2004 at 3:14 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Conformists

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 2:55 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    screamo/hardcore bands arent more insane live than on record? ok. might wanna think THAT one through again, or you could just tell that to one of the many casualities usually suffered by fans from the keys of a swinging bass.

    yes, tell them that when they walk away from a show smiling through blood.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 1:08 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Isn't*

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 1:08 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This is hardcore at all! And i don't see how any of those things are what punk is...the ONLY time poppiness works with punk is when it's being used in almost a crass sense (IE the Misfits, The Ramones)...."pop" punk today really isn't punk at all. This isn't punk, the Ataris aren't punk, Pulley isn't punk, none of the metalcore and screamo shit is punk, none of the "oi, oi" fashion "punk" is really punk either, etc. I'm sorry....but it's true....I can't hold it back anymore. What does that leave? Bands that really pose a threat to power are punk rock, bands that are more insane and psychotic live than on record, bands that do what they want to and basically create their own sound....but very little exists.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 1:02 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Whats with the mixing of poppiness of weak wimpy screams....wear's the violent hardocre punk that takes no prisoners....im so sick of this compromise "punk".

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 18, 2004 at 1:47 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    nevermind my last post (below)
    some times things take a few minutes to click

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 18, 2004 at 1:44 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "to the first post:
    i do not think that word means what you think it means."

    Maybe s/he's making an allusion to the evil guy in the Princess Bride.
    Or maybe I just love that movie because of the huge rats in it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 18, 2004 at 2:17 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    One of the worst bands EVER!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at 5:43 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    look at the cover read the bandname and you already know the style. And I dont like this kinda shit

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at 2:18 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    stop the rhyming, i mean it

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at 1:32 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i reviewed this last year and punknews wouldn't post it. now that they are on epitaph they will? fags.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 at 12:37 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    i wonder if he's sicilian.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at 11:58 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    to the first post:
    i do not think that word means what you think it means.

    Posted by slippy on 2004-04-13 23:24:50
    My Score:

    It's funny that all you need to hear is this band's name and you know that they are gonna be shitty, and you know the basic style of music that theyre playing.

    Posted by dazed on 2004-04-13 18:37:57
    My Score:

    Terrible.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at 4:30 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    coming from someone that doesn't hate Nu-epitaph as much as most people do,

    this band sucks.

    -Forrest Law

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at 4:18 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    this band blows. how the mighty (epitaph) have fallen...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at 4:04 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "It's fun. It's edgy. It's hardcore. It's poppy. It's almost everything that the punk world is all wrapped in one."

    Then I guess those bands that aren't fun, "edgy" (I hate critics), poppy, or (fake) hardcore just aren't "punk". Hm. I seem to remember this band called the Stooges.

    -BSD

    Posted by texthunders on 2004-04-13 15:56:31
    My Score:

    whoa...that review was classic

    Inconceivable!!!!!

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