The Blood Brothers

The Blood Brothers: CrimesCrimes (2004)
V2

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: maverickScott
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on October 12th 2004The Blood Brothers have always been innovators. From their music to their merchandise, they've left dozens of soundalines and lookalines in their wake, never being content with where they are now. The Blood Brothers are one of those bands you can always count on to deliver something wholly original,.

The Blood Brothers have always been innovators. From their music to their merchandise, they've left dozens of soundalines and lookalines in their wake, never being content with where they are now. The Blood Brothers are one of those bands you can always count on to deliver something wholly original, whether or not you like it.

Fortunately, you'll like Crimes. You'll like it a lot.

Reeling in some of the spasticness from Burn Piano Island, Burn while at the same time lashing out even stronger, Crimes' 13 tracks and short running time (just under 39 minutes, to be precise) feels like a band finally coming into their own--ironic, since they've already made the album that most people will remember them for and consider their "benchmark" (Burn). The thing is, go listen to Burn again, and you'll find a record with an emormous lag in its mid-to-end section, and at close to an hour, the record had the chance to get old before you were even done listening to it. Crimes does not. These songs breeze by, with eight of them being under three minutes (and one, "Beautiful Horses," not even making two). Even the four-and-a-half minute "Peacocks Skeleton With Crooked Feathers" seems shorter than it is, due to the bouncy keyboard part delivered by screamer Johnny Whitney (y'know, the blond).

And speaking of Whitney, you might have thought his neck hair-raising yowls couldn't get any more high-pitched. Well, you'd be wrong - one listen to "Trash Flavored Trash" or "Rats And Rats And Rats For Candy" and you'll wonder if he's actually a chipmunk in a human costume. Co-screamer Jordan Blilie (y'know, the brunette) has developed almost a sinister quality to his delivery, sufficiently upping the creep-out factor.The two fuse their vocals even more perfectly than before, especially on the hip-hop breakdown in "Teen Heat."

Yeah, there's really a hip-hop breakdown, delivered courtesy of drummer du jour Marc Gadahjar. His style is equal parts Wu Tang and Saetia (or precision and tension, if you're uncomfortable with that analogy). Musically, this band just keeps getting better and better. Cody Votolato's guitar slices through Blilie and Whitney's banshee yells, and bassist/synth op Morgan Henderson makes himself near-invisible throughout the album, merely filling out what little space the band leaves him with aplomb.

The Blood Brothers aren't really "hardcore" anymore. "Sasscore," a term coined by yours truly, has already seemed to pigeonhole the band's sound (as evidenced by the gorgeous slow jam that is the title track). There's still a swagger evident in these songs, and while the band knows they're hot shit, they don't let it get in the way of doing what they do best - writing damn good songs. They didn't go overboard with production on here, nor extraneous instrumentation. They don't need to; they can leave all that to their imitators, who are still playing catch-up. Only the Blood Brothers could pull this album off, and the ease at which they do it is a refreshing slap in the face to all who listen.

Recommended.

MP3
Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck [clip]

Stream the entire record here

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

xsummerxsaddismx (February 7, 2008)

they are amazing!

im saddened that they broke up

://////

Abomination (November 21, 2007)

I believe after this album BB started going downhill.
It was always the intense dual scream's and shouts that always got my attention. Crimes never really satisfied that need.
Burn Piano Island, Burn and The Audltery is right will always be classic for delivering that.

The only songs off this album i've fallen in love with are..
Feed Me To The Forest (catchy intro riff)
Trash Flavored Trash
and Peacock skeleton with crooked feathers.

sleepwalker (November 9, 2007)

Did You Know: Crimes is better than Burn, Piano Island, Burn? It's true.

thurstonXwhore (February 14, 2007)

This cd pretty much blows. I remember my ex being so into it, me always thinking "is this the kind of hardcore chicks get into?" Of course, this shit isn't hardcore and it certainly isn't anything called "sasscore." That just sounds gay. Literally. Think about it. SASScore. Who the fuck has sass? Yes, let's invent more terms to impress our underground community. Pick up Red Medicine. It isn't sassy, but it does have attitude.

devestator (July 3, 2006)

this is by far the best CD i currenty (and probbly will ever) own.
the ammount of creativity that was poured into the lyrics and how many different styles of music that were used in this record is INCREDIBLE.
bloody hell, i love the Blood Brothers
you can bash Johnnys wailing and their "childish" instruments all you want, im still going to listen to this ablum and love everysecond of it

Anonymous (April 15, 2006)

blood brothers is like my favorite band. i would die to meet them

Anonymous (January 14, 2006)

BSD is a fag and so is anyone who hates this album or this band.

Anonymous (January 14, 2006)

BSD is a fag and so is anyone whjo hates this album or this band.

GreenVandal (July 15, 2005)

Fucking incredible album! No one likes the blood brothers at first. Well, some do, like me, but usually you have to force this shit down peoples throats for them to like it. But all you haters will see someday. One of the best bands going right now. Without a doubt.

md40_07 (July 4, 2005)

The Blood Brothers are awesome, i dont know why but i love them. First it was noice but then i got used to it and it was so addicting...sounds like everyone's story right? Hey has anyone else heard about the Blood Brothers and Yeah Yeah Yeah's EP thats comming out?

Anonymous (June 30, 2005)

i have to say i thought they were shit at first, just sounded random so it got lost in the piles of crap at home. Then i picked it up again and started to hear all the stuff goin on not just noise- now im hooked and have been for quite a while. All my mates were the same thought it was shit at first but got into it after a while.

Anonymous (December 12, 2004)

Incredible. Almost as impressive as burn piano.

-Zak

Piebalding (November 15, 2004)

I had been hearing a lot about this band and bought "Burn Piano Island Burn" a while back and absolutely reveled in in its eccentric persona. So naturally I picked this up and my jaw dropped. Most of this album IS NOT what I was expecting at all. There are a few tunes that sound like they were left off of the last album but for the most part this is very different. Not to say that's a bad thing, this album does everything music should do: push the envelope in every direction and make the listener question what exactly they're hearing.

Anonymous (November 2, 2004)

I can understand people not liking this band. they are very polarizing. but i personally think they fucking rule, and im still debating if this album is better then bpib. both of them are better at different times really.

-Greenvandal
does anyone remember me huh huh huh???

good to see BSD still hasnt left and is still talking random shit.

Anonymous (October 23, 2004)

You know who I really fucking hate? People who listen to barely 2 blood brothers songs and think they have the right to diss them

"ooh I listened to 5 seconds of rats and rats and rats for candy and this band sucks really bad, go listen to real hardcore"

fucking idiots, piss off

Jizle (October 23, 2004)

wow...this album is amazing....jonny's high pitched voice is orgasmic and the shreeks and howls never sounded so kick ass. I dig everything about this record. oh...and to everyone that disses noise-core or "sass-core"....fuck you....if you would actually listen to them youd see that they arent just playing random crap....each insterment is so percise and tight....the drummer from the locust, for example....never sticks to 4/4 time, and still manages to keep the band together....i love it. so yeh....eat shit.

thepillowcasemassacrebass (October 19, 2004)

Terrible. Sounds like a bunch of kids who just learned their instruments that wanted to solo.

Anonymous (October 17, 2004)

" Read the lyrics to a locust song, then read the lyrics to something by Sin Dios. Feel a little let down by this type of music? I sure do! "

oh fucking please. the locust and the blood brothers are more or less art projects masquerading as hardcore bands. am i let down? no, because i know they're a lot fucking smarter and creative than any old school hardcore band.

as a point of reference, i'd rather listen to Husker Du than Agnostic Front, rather listen to the Minutemen than Discharge, rather listen to Mission of Burma than GBH, rather listen to Wire than Sham 69.

there's a reason that most of the Locust's and Blood Brother's core fanbase is "indie kids" (i use the term cautiously). it's because these bands transcend their genres and create something new and interesting. something those unconcerned with useless genre tags can appreciate. so yeah, fuck off.

Icapped2pac (October 15, 2004)

If even Lynyrd Skynyrd fans are telling you to get a haircut, you must really have a nappy wig.

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

Hm. Funny thing, that's what all of the Lynrd Skynrd fans tell me, also.

-BSD

Icapped2pac (October 15, 2004)

"all i have to contribute to this conversation is kids......you all need to go get a fucking haircut."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

"(shrugs shoulders) opens door, rushes in and violently finishes paul off."

god bless the internet

-paul

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

"i heard paul likes the cock.

sayin'"

the rumors are true anonymous. the rumors are true.

-paul

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

"Crimes" i mean.

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

in the top 5 of the year for sure

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

all that matters is the new ted leo is fucking amazing

swingline (October 15, 2004)

there is a little man that stands next to me and makes me read all of the comments after the review i cant help it

1234go (October 15, 2004)

Your ass did not coin the term sasscore my friend.

Anonymous (October 15, 2004)

Don't read it dummy

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Anyone know of a site that posts news similar to what's posted here, but doesn't have any commentary section? Seriously.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

this album is tan-fastic...tan-motherfucking-fastic, i say

end communication

-notaclevername

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

i heard paul likes the cock.

sayin'

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Solid review... just... well... "car rhymes" is such a terrible terrible song to introduce the album by........................................... yep.

That's aboot it.

Not-To-Regret (October 14, 2004)

What is this strange wailing I hear in this clip? ahhhh. Too many people think indie-rock is fucking good or something because its not that trendy. Just because something isn't trendy doesn't make it good in the underground sense.

I'm all for trying obscure music... when it's good.

When I read the description explaining "screamer" and "banshee" as the vocal styles I immediatley cringed.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"haha. i missed reading your rules. my bad. you may now go back to wacking off to the blood brothers."

(:closes door:)....wack,wackwackwack,wack,wack!!!! oooooooooooooooyea!!!!!!!

-paul"

(shrugs shoulders) opens door, rushes in and violently finishes paul off.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"haha. i missed reading your rules. my bad. you may now go back to wacking off to the blood brothers."

(:closes door:)....wack,wackwackwack,wack,wack!!!! oooooooooooooooyea!!!!!!!

-paul

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"i wasn't name dropping to show credibility. who gives a fuck what bands i name. my point was, i prefer (although not limited) a certain subgenre of the "punk" world and me not liking the blood brothers is not something i should feel ashamed of because elitist scenesters like you say they're so damn talented and unique."

it was a funny coincidence though admit it. and i'm not elitest scenester. i'm 24, work in an office and own sugarcult cd's. plural. i like fugazi and new found glory equally. i am totally cool and gay at the same time. i'm too fat to be an indy scenester and i don't want to wear girl pants and have a gay haircut.

-paul

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Ken-

Those bands sound so fucking generic. I think the Locust can get really old, but Los Crudos aren't revolutionizing anything.

I'm for progressive music. While old hardcore is better than this new stuff, new bands trying to sound old just annoy me.

-BSD

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

is there some sort of ongoing story that goes with each album?

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"This Adultery Is Ripe" is their worst album. This album is way better.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Blood for Blood is better.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

if i wanted to listen to mindless self indulgence, ill listen to Mindless Self Indulgence..not the blood brothers... i want blood brothers when i listen to blood brothers.

This Adultery is Ripe > Crimes

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

amazing isnt' it that this dork below me followed my rule's just a few posts after me. thanks for reading up and following my rules to sound like a smart guy.

-paul

haha. i missed reading your rules. my bad. you may now go back to wacking off to the blood brothers.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"to the post below me, you obviously didn't read this post, but case in point, thanks. see kids, this is how you sound cool. name drop the circle jerks, black flag etc. just like i said. hilarious. "

i wasn't name dropping to show credibility. who gives a fuck what bands i name. my point was, i prefer (although not limited) a certain subgenre of the "punk" world and me not liking the blood brothers is not something i should feel ashamed of because elitist scenesters like you say they're so damn talented and unique.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Ok so they might be able to play their instruments or whatever but heres just my thing about this bands i guess I like the locust alot and watching them play is fucking crazy just seeing how crazy those riffs actually are. An Albotross is fucking halirous and has a really raw sound and a really punk feel to it that i love. Melt Banana need i saw more they rule all of the above. The Blood Brothers to me just get lumped in with the rest and i feel compared to the rest they don't match up i mean just go look at the GSL lineup theyre full of this shit and I think better shit. Although this style gets old and annoying after a while i still love some of the bands. But thats just my reasoning behind why i dont really like the blood brothers and theres also the fact that every cd seems to get worse and worse than it already was.

wow that was long sorry im on a little speed binge here which also makes me want to add listen to kind of stuff on drugs and i dont mean smoke a little bowl or drink 3 beers i mean get fucked up and listen to this shit. then you love it even when your sober after words. why i dont know.

That applys greatly to Racebannon "In the Grips of the light" best cd ever.

-I Hate The Kids

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

this sucks so bad

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

to the post below me, you obviously didn't read this post, but case in point, thanks. see kids, this is how you sound cool. name drop the circle jerks, black flag etc. just like i said. hilarious.

""How can you kids be into post-hardcore without knowing anything about hardcore?

because musically this sounds nothing like old 80s hardcore..."

someone alwasy has to post this. its like ok
1.pop punk cd...explain how this is not pop punk and how pop punk was started by the decendents, or argue that lagwagon and fat punk is pop punk not band X
2.name drop ATDI or jawbreaker. it makes you sound smart.

3.correct anyone who says band X is screamo. call it 'mall emo' and tell them saetia or some shit is REAL screamo

4.explain how something isn't hardcore. name drop early 80's DC hardcore bands.

these are the rules to sound like a smart music guy on the punknews boards. it will never get old.

-paul""

amazing isnt' it that this dork below me followed my rule's just a few posts after me. thanks for reading up and following my rules to sound like a smart guy.

-paul

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

I can guarantee the people bashing this are the same people who bash Mogwai all the time because they don't play songs like some 1980's hardcore band no one ever gave a fuck about.

Amazingly,you are able to use more than three chords in a song. But of course, that's not what the "punx" like to hear

i'm not one of the "punx" but my favorite style of music is old school punk/80's hardcore like those bands.....oh i think they're called minor threat and circle jerks and agnostic front....yeah, nobody's heard of em. anyways, my bad for not liking this band because it uses more chords and has more "intelligent" screaming. i need to get with the program.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Vote badnarik!!
This album.... is ok... im getting used to the higher pitched voice... eh...

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

screw this emo crap band VOTE KERRY

elliot (October 14, 2004)

ugghhh, why are you guys such boners? booorrrriiinggg!!!! blood brothers bring the noise AND the funk, so get bent.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

that clip is horrible. ive never heard this band until just now and that was truly terrible.

joeg (October 14, 2004)

all i have to contribute to this conversation is kids......you all need to go get a fucking haircut.

Jesse (October 14, 2004)

Wooo! I got a death threat! This score's for that.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

"How can you kids be into post-hardcore without knowing anything about hardcore?

because musically this sounds nothing like old 80s hardcore..."

someone alwasy has to post this. its like ok
1.pop punk cd...explain how this is not pop punk and how pop punk was started by the decendents, or argue that lagwagon and fat punk is pop punk not band X
2.name drop ATDI or jawbreaker. it makes you sound smart.

3.correct anyone who says band X is screamo. call it 'mall emo' and tell them saetia or some shit is REAL screamo

4.explain how something isn't hardcore. name drop early 80's DC hardcore bands.

these are the rules to sound like a smart music guy on the punknews boards. it will never get old.

-paul

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

I love Crimes. At first, I was a bit taken back due to the higher vocals... but its grown on me, just as they grew on me when I first heard about them.

On a side note, There wasnt a single track on piano island that I disliked, as goes the same with crimes.

the sad thing, is that half of these kids shitting on it will be praising it in a few months.

and it sucks that people need to bring this high and mighty "more hxc than you" persona into it. Yeah, give kenny G five minutes in compton, i doubt he'd do well there too. Its a different style of music with a different taste, its not that easy to say "omg in 82 hardcore punk we'd kill them olol!"

bottom line, its original, and i love it.

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

How can you kids be into post-hardcore without knowing anything about hardcore?

because musically this sounds nothing like old 80s hardcore...

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

Yeah BSD, i figured you'd waigh in on this. I wasn't around in '82 (were you?...were any of us?!?) but i sure as fuck know my roots and know that this mtv-ready emo with less tonality bullshit sure as fuck isn't a credible challenge to Hardcore music. It lacks the ideology and attack that makes hardcore bands like Los Crudos or Discarga so fucking powerful. Read the lyrics to a locust song, then read the lyrics to something by Sin Dios. Feel a little let down by this type of music? I sure do!

-Ken

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

How can you kids be into post-hardcore without knowing anything about hardcore?

-Ken

Anonymous (October 14, 2004)

How can anyone not appreciate this bands talent...unmatched by anyone. Go so them on tour you'll be blown away.