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Scatter The Ashes

Devout/The Modern Hymn (2004)
Epitaph Records

Reviewer Rating:

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

Published on June 22nd 2004

My first run-in with Scatter The Ashes came via the Hard To Get Volume One compilation, put out by Island Records. It contained the song "Christine Daae" by this band, and if I recall correctly, I described the song as "The Used-lite meets bad bar rock." Needless to say, I wasn't exactly thrilled to listen to the band's debut full length on Epitaph, but once I got around to putting it in my stereo, I regretted waiting so long to play it. A good majority of these songs sound nothing like "Christine Daae," and thus, Devout/The Modern Hymn ain't half bad.

Scatter The Ashes' sound is very atmospheric and heavy at the same time, which only conjurs up one band for me - Cave In. There's a ton of Cave In's fingerprints all over a number of these songs. The gutteral scream followed by a devastatingly thick guitar riff breakdown in "White Actress." The melodic vocal patterns displayed in "Division" and "In The Company Of Wolves." The coulda-been-a-Jupiter-B-side "City In The Sea." Devout/The Modern Hymn is the major label debut that Cave In should have put out, instead of the garbage that eventually cleared RCA's execs. There's a ton of guitar effects all over this record, but it's never too much in any one song.

The record cruises along with a good energy up until the closing songs; the aforementioned "Christine Daae" and "Hour Benediction." Both include some of the influences eariler displayed on the record, but then devolve into this Used-lite meets bad bar rock scenario previously described. It's a shame, as the rest of the album is a solid, if slightly predictable rock disc.

MP3s
Caesura
City In The Sea
Christine Daae

Stream five songs here

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Piebalding (November 15, 2004)

I'm not used to Epitaph releasing post-hardcore type stuff, but this is one of the better bands I've heard as of late. When I first got this CD I got bored with some of the songs as they seemed to take forever to get going. But once they're up to full speed they're nothing short of amazing. I look forward to seeing this band sometime in the future. Plus they're from my home state of Tennessee and there are too few bands getting the recognition they deserve around here, I guess because the music industry assumes we're all shoeless hicks...but that's beside the point. Go check out this band now! I highly reccomend them.

Anonymous (July 27, 2004)

I think the cd is great. This band is really awesome live too. The singer's dance moves are beautiful.

Anonymous (July 17, 2004)

80's Post-Punk meets modern day Post-Hardcore would be the best way to describe this bands sound. Good indeed

slippy (June 28, 2004)

So I downloaded the 3 songs. "City by the sea" and "caesura" are truly great ambient rock songs. "Christine Daae" is a really bad screamo song. I don't know what to think. Maybe it's an old song that they never recorded or something.

Anonymous (June 25, 2004)

I dig it.
It's far from perfect, but It's got a really different sound (note: i didn't say 'original' sound :) with a lot of atmosphere/ambient noise that would seem very at home on a Cure or Slowdive record, but it doesn't rip them off either...

so yeah. it's good stuff. definitely worth checking out.

Anonymous (June 25, 2004)

What about Ashes, they were the shit. OH. You bitches don't know about Ashes, do you. Didn't think so.

Anonymous (June 24, 2004)

"!! What an uninformed statement! Blasphemy, even!
To wit, FROM ASHES RISE

utterly incredible
-Janelle"

I concur.

-ObeyYourParents

Anonymous (June 23, 2004)

FATA's Too Bad You're Beautiful is a great cd

Anchors (June 23, 2004)

Scatter The Ashes
Beauty To Ashes
From Autumn To Ashes
Ashes Spawn Fire

All prove to me putting Ashes in your band name saps the possible talent from all of it's members.

I will check out this From Ashes Rise you speak of, and you had better be right about them. I don't like wasting time that could be spent in other ways, like watching Walker Texas Ranger re-runs.

Anonymous (June 23, 2004)

"There will never be a good band with ashes in their name."

!! What an uninformed statement! Blasphemy, even!
To wit, FROM ASHES RISE

utterly incredible
-Janelle

Anonymous (June 23, 2004)

"Devout/The Modern Hymn is the major label debut that Cave In should have put out, instead of the garbage that eventually cleared RCA's execs."

i'm sorry, but your reviews continue to prove that you are a wannabe-elitist fuck. cave in's sound was moving towards the poppy side of things BEFORE they got signed to RCA (see the lost in the air/lift-off 7"). nothing "cleared" RCA's execs, they made the record they wanted to make. if you don't like it, fine, but don't pull the "oh the record is poppy so it must have been the label's fault" bullshit. this along with your onelinedrawing review continues to show evidence of your asinine attitude in reviews often founded on completely false assumptions you've made.

Anchors (June 23, 2004)

There will never be a good band with ashes in their name.

Anonymous (June 23, 2004)

I actually gave this a try, awhful-oldpunker-

johnnydanger (June 23, 2004)

Did you just imply Cave In's Antenna wasn't great?

Anonymous (June 22, 2004)

much better than that poppy shit from first to last

inagreendase (June 22, 2004)

It's pretty good. But "predictable..." I don't know about that.

Bryne (June 22, 2004)

It's not bad. "Division" is a really good song.

Anonymous (June 22, 2004)

Pretty good for a freshman effort. Not too shabby live. I recommend picking up the cd and seeing them live.

sloppyblake (June 22, 2004)

I approve

Anonymous (June 22, 2004)

i heard city by the sea on the new epi comp and thought 'wow these guys all bought jupiter by cave in'. its ok, but like cave in, its a littel too freaky deaky for me. too hippy, too long, to 'atmospheric'.

in other news the new bad religeon is better than process of belief

Anonymous (June 22, 2004)

i liked it...
-Janelle