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Silent Drive

Love Is Worth It (2004)
Equal Vision Records

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Contributed by: Scott
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on May 4th 2004

Silent Drive's debut album, Love Is Worth It, is a bit on the schizophrenic side, to say the least. Featuring members of fist-pumping champions Bane and the defunct ironycore unit Drowningman, a good number of these songs have shredding guitar riffs, heart-attack inducing drum beats, and singer Zach Gordon's bark mimics that of Davey Havok at his best [and least androgynous], and at sometimes even dials up a bit of Dag Nasty-era Dave Smalley. It's these parts of the songs that totally and completely rip.

But then the other side of the song comes in, heavy on melody both in instrumentation and vocals. On a number of these songs, I found myself asking "is this the new Midtown record in disguise?", as the vocals effortlessly slide from a powerful growl into higher octaves singing sticky sweet melodies like in album opener "4/16" and album closer "Boyfriend Notes." It's a strange dichotomy, one that shouldn't work at all.

Yet somehow it does.

A number of these tracks blend the aggression and melody into one incredibly tight-knit package, leaving the listener no time to say "Hey, wait a sec, this really shouldn't work as well as it does..." before the next song comes roaring out of the gates. Much of this is due to the actual production of the record - it's impeccable. This is turning into the year of Bill Stevenson, as he's already done two masterpieces with the new A Wilhelm Scream and Audio Karate discs, and this album is completely solid from start to finish.

There's a lot of bands currently attempting the screamy/poppy hardcore hybrid right now, but Silent Drive is one of the few I've listened to that has the pedigree as well as the passion to pull it off. Their melodies can be downright hypnotic, and the musicianship here is incredibly strong, as evidenced in "Banana Rejection." This album takes a bit to grow on you, but there's a lot of good stuff going on here.

MP3s
American Classic
Banana Rejection
Our Lady Of The Worthless Miracle

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imisschampion (June 1, 2008)

Scott clearly wrote that this album takes a while to grow on you.
And it does. Honestly this has become my all time most listened to album. Don't let 4/16 throw you off into thinking it's nu-metal, these guys are pretty unbelievable with their musicianship on most of the record. Give it time.

Anonymous (January 3, 2005)

scott suck my dick

Anonymous (July 8, 2004)

Fantastic work here in a genre totally overdone. This album will stand strong for a very long time. Call em whatever you want, or just screw genres altogether and just rock. That's all you need to do with this album. Silent Drive will be taking over many more stereos to come.

Anonymous (June 7, 2004)

so good

Anonymous (May 10, 2004)

"Ironycore" is quite possibly the worst new word ever. Even worse than "screamo" (which now seems to be in common use unfortunately...I even saw it in the newspaper)
Enough with the cores please.

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

it's okay... i guess. nothing really memorable.

-benz

Romeo (May 6, 2004)

I used to like Busta Rythmes... the good days man, the good days.

scores for screamo.
and for Nelly...

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

I really wish I would hear JUST ONE new band that didn't sound like total shit.

cubaricho (May 5, 2004)

I agree, sounds like radio-friendly nu-metal.

slippy (May 5, 2004)

nu metal!

ok, I've only heard one song, but it does remind me of nu metal. i can't help it.

aubin (May 5, 2004)

Did anyone else feel like the band was channeling Album of the Year-era Faith No More? Probably just me.

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

damn its a slow year in music this year (thus far) I guess I'll just save my pennies for the floodgate of releases that come out around September.

Both of EV's new bands (Silent Drive and Fear Before the March of Flames) have been canned by this site. That's a crying shame cos I like that label

-bemused-

SilentStorms (May 4, 2004)

Meh, mediocre.

StabbingGoldfish (May 4, 2004)

I like this cd.

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

A little constructive criticism if I may,
I have observed this site for years and I must say that recently, scott..your reviews have seemingly fallen off a little bit. EVERY single record is background, why you thought you wouldnt like it (or what whatever genre this band plays is overtly saturated) but how this specific band makes the genre worthwhile. GREAT! But not every band is okay, and as a fellow music critic I must seem that you're playing for the labels instead of the fans here. Try not to worry about what the publicists are going to say, and just report what you feel. Not all records are good, hell most aren't even good enough to conjure up a 100 word paragragph. But if that's the case, SAY IT! This 'well, there's a lot worse out there' nonsense isnt doing anyone any good. This also includes how you seem to wrap up every review by saying its somehow worthwhile (even ones that your review clearly indicated weren't). Think about it.

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

this band is so bad live i saw one of their first shows which was with some other bad band then a life once lost, converge, thursday and bane

Steve_Buscemi (May 4, 2004)

from now on, bands can't have the word "drive" in their name.

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

wow i wish equal vision will stop signning bands for no reason and putting them out as fast as they can

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

the only thing ironic about drowningman was their song titles. and the singer of this band (the guitarist of bane) sounds NOTHING like davey havok.

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

the fuck is "ironycore"?

Karl Hungus

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

i miss drowningman.

Ramo

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

I saw these guys open for Hope Con/Paint It Black...yawnfest.

Steve_Buscemi (May 4, 2004)

ap's been reviewing more and more albums lately, and they all say the same fuckin thing. There is not one person on that site that can write a damn review.

"I have come to the conclusion that new found glory are geniouses." -Jason Tate.