Damn, I love melodic hardcore. Every time I find myself feeling cynical or jaded, a band like this comes along and smacks me upside the head. Coming to us from the majestic land of Sweden, The Change offers up a great debut. Fight Fire With Fire, the same label who brought us the awesome Bones Brigade delivers again with this one.

The album kicks off with an intro that sounds like the bizarro version of the intro to Gorilla Biscuits' classic "Start Today." That is, instead of sounding enthusiastic, it sounds foreboding. However, that is hardly an indication of the music on this disc. Despite the aforementioned difference in intros, The Change has some things in common with Gorilla Biscuits. These songs are fast, melodic, catchy, and above all else, fun to listen to. In addition to that, the tracks not only beg you to sing along, but stick in your head for a long time as well. This is another standout quality that The Change brings to the table; these songs will stay with you. I can really appreciate this, since I've heard so many average, but forgettable songs in the course of reviewing albums. This album also scores points for its sheer energy. They don't sound like they're trying to be an old school hardcore band, if this was labeled as a discography of some long lost late 80's/early 90's band, it would fool a lot of people.

This is an album that lacks a lot of things, and that's what I like about it. It doesn't have tough guy posturing, it doesn't have out of place breakdowns, and it doesn't feature over the top production. This band may be a playing an old style of music, but it hardly sounds that way. If you enjoy bands like Time Flies, you'll probably dig this.

My Favorite Track: Worn Out

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