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| The Black MariaLead Us To Reason2005 Victory 
 Review by: Anchors See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on January 25th 2005
The Black Maria's debut album, Lead Us To Reason, is the latest release in the new influx of bands that Victory has been signing left and right lately. Gone are the days of Snapcase, and and in are the days of Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights. Long gone are the glory days, and pretty much all Victory has left with us are retreads of retreads. Well, one would assume The Black Maria follow the same pitfalls of so many of it's more recent predecessors, but such is not necessarily the case. While not giving us anything new, or inventive, The Black Maria have provided a release that I'm sure some of you will find to be an enjoyable record, if not for just a little while.
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when I saw them the singer was doing all these stupid theatrics like the "hang myslelf with the microphone coard" really bad. 2 kids in the front were singing along and when they finished they threw the drumsticks...nobody tried to catch them, they just hit some chick in the head. Revised. I for one think you're all going a bit far with all of this. The Black Maria are The Black Maria, and Grade is Grade. Comparisons are really unfair given all the great things that Grade did. This is meant to be something different. Take it for what it is. It's a good album, made by talented people. I wish them all the best. Ok CD that gets way to generic way to fast with nothing standing out, yet I still like it for a listen from time to time... this CD fucking owns all you haters need to wake up! anyone who thinks this CD sucks obviously listens to britney spears all the time or something! People can't critisize them it's really good and to the haters- when i see YOU out there releasing a record, maybe your opinions will matter. but they wont and they dont. Forgot to put a score below! Well I wasnt too sure about The Black Maria at first. Picked up Lead us to Reason because I heard Kyle Bishop is in the band. At first I thought it was OK. But I just seen them last night at the Shelter in Detroit and had a chance to talk to Mr. Bishop himself. He went over why Grade had broken up with me and how the band was doing very well and for once in his life he was makin money. But Kyle was unhappy with the band, he was the last original member in grade and was now in his 30's playing with a bunch of young'ns. So he quite and wanted to do something that was fun again. He gave up the lead role to play guitar. I must admit it was wierd seeing him play guitar but he did a great job and we still get to hear him scream once and a while. Anyways, thier set is very tight, they sound much better live than on the cd. For all the doubters posting here I suggest seeing them live, it may just change your mind. Yes there is room for improvement but hey, this is their first fucking album! Quit bitchin about lyrics, I quit reading lyrics after grade broke up. Most bands have nothing new to say anyways. As long as the music is good and keeps your interest and there is a sing-a-long here and there its all gravy. Anyways, again I suggest seeing them live, they are very friendly and I think you will have a better appreciation for them. Well, they may look like just another victory churn-off (and probably are as far as victory's concerned) , but they are a band that clearly knows what they are doing. The instrumentation is excellent, although to say they don't have a strong pop/punk sensibility is completely wrong, they clearly do. Rather than sticking to the formulaic sing/scream pattern frequented on so many recent releases however they actually try to mix it up with long periods of singing and minimal screaming, unpunctuated by the (textbook) screaming which does make an appearance. Although due to its somewhat un-needed nature it often feels "tacked on".The lyrics, while hardly the most beautiful ever written,do wander away from the "safety curtain" of slit wrists and broken hearted emo cliches, not that thats neccessarily a good thing as the lines, "There's a poison coming from the tv/ The buzzing attracts the fleas" suggest! Conversely the vocals that utter these words are one of the strongest aspects of the album, and really appeal to me. as gray and bishop meld together to typical, but well above average effect. . When i first heard Kyle Bishop was back in business, i said, "hooray." I went to the Black Maria's website only to see a picture of these young lads standing IN FRONT of such a god? I said, "nay." Now i dont even want to listen to this band. Kyle, get out of there while you still can! For all you's that hate this CD just FUCK OFF you're not even worth the time or space you may not know good music if it was playin right in front of your fucked up faces. This is an awesome band no matter what you fuckin say we don't have time for your shit so take it somewhere else. This band is the best and i can't wait to go party'n with them and to see them in concert, i love their CD it's the best and i don't give a shit what you think!!! OMG these guys are just AWESOME.. i saw them live and they were GREAT..and pretty hot too!!!! buy there CD its worth it :) Screw all you haters. This album is awsome. This band is INASNE live. They are so good!! This is a million times better than your regular run of the mill whiney emo shit like taking back sunday. and guess what, th songs on this album dont all sound the exact same....like every fucking other emo band out there. The lyrics are awsome too. AND...they know how to make a song catchy without making it poppy. Both singers in this band have awsome vocals too, so there. shut up and really listen to this! AWSOME SONG AWSOME BAND i saw then in concert man... when do all you self-righteous "critics" find time to listen to the tracks when you're so busy bitching at each other over whether or not this band falls into the trendy sub-genre that you want or don't want it to? Kyle Bishop seriously had better leave this band... he can do so much better. Dude, you haven't even heard the record. Horrible horrible cookie-cutter shit. I hate this My-parents-are-super-rich-but-my-hair-is-dyed-black-because-I'm-s o-misunderstood-so-I-scream-about-my-girlfriend shit Hardcore band???? Are you fucking kidding me??? These guys don't even know what hardcore is!!! This stuff is piss bucket schlock!!! I think its just because I am into all this music because I am a teenager. but I love this album. I dont really think its emo. because if it was, I wouldnt listen to it. I think you "kids" need to go back a bit further in music and you will find that Grade are not pioneers or "trend"setters. Trends are for fucking sheep!!! The reason bands are remembered or liked past and present is because they did what they wanted and bucked the trends you go against the grain not with it!!! Can someone translate the comment directly below this one for me? You guys are too quick to label this band as typical screamo. This is good shit. This album and band are both great. I've seen these guys live and they play with alotta energy and emotion. They rock hard and have alotta potential. Whoever said Grade was a "straight up hardcore band" on Separate The Magnets is a hunk of shit. Liar! I don't mind the the screaming bits coming from Kyle... someone mentioned following "the trend", but I think it is perfectly fine for him to do so as a pioneer of "the trend". You guys are too quick to label this band as typical screamo. This is good shit. screamo? what the fuck is that? seriously. The Black Maria rocks hard !! Ive seen them live and they are great. I think they bring a different tune to screamo. I got the sampler for this, listened to it once, and tossed it in the trash. What a pile of shit. i think these guys kick ass i love them they are rockin!!! Bishop rules, I agree with the guy below who said he'd be excited when kyle bishop fronts a band. I saw Grade live a few times, and this doesnt even stack up close to their level... off to listen to under the radar. - bigjerk The Black Maria rocks hard !! Ive seen them live and they are great. I think they bring a different tune to screamo. someone should review the life at these speeds ep over this shit why oh why does EVERY band have to have screaming? WHY??? how can u not tell the difference between Hawthorne and Silverstein? I looked for this in Best Buy yesterday, but they didn't have it. I really like Betrayal. i tihnk it's sad seeing this and the bright eyes reviewed in the same week how can u not tell the difference between Hawthorne and Silverstein? that's part of the reason why grade broke up. I got that Victory Records sampler CD and I simply could not tell the fucking difference between Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights. I was pretty disappointed to hear this, not because it's completely awful, but just because I expected a lot more from Kyle Bishop. Hey, Paul – i took one look at these guys in their 'look i'm a scary 19 year old w/ makeup on' promo photo and threw up on myself. Dudes, growing up in long islands suburbs or whereever you're from doesnt make you scary. you look like dorks. dammit. fuck this shit. Whoever said Under The Radar was screamo...it's emocore! Grade was definitive emocore, know your sub-genres. objective music reviews.. I would really hate this band... except I don't think they're really worth the time or the effort. Victory either signs either straight up metal bands(Darkest Hour, Dead to Fall) or straight up emo bands(Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, this band). There are a few exceptions.. Ten Foot Pole, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Action Action, and Comeback Kid. But yeah, what a fucked up label. Well, I do agree with you on the song "Mirrors and Cameras". I dig the screams cause Kyle totally rips at them. I don't think he screams on "The Momento" though. It would have gotten a probably a five or 6, were it not for the lyrics and the fact that they need to follow the trend and throw in a scream here or there. Oh, and score's for the review. Although, I don't think it's deserving of two stars for how many positive's you give it, it's probably one of the better reviews as of late. It's nice to hear Kyle's voice here and there on the album. This band has promise for sure. you suck you sucky suckity suck suck Nope, that album sucks majorly. Whoa. Grade definitely did not suck. "Under the Radar" might be the single best screamo album recorded before the genre turned into emo with screaming (ala Taking Back Sunday). It was accessible, melodic, yet pulled no punches... plus the production was about perfect: refined yet not manufactured (something that marred the recorded output of some other great bands like the Sleepytime Trio). Yes, their last album was a disappointment, but so many bands flame out on one truly classic release that it shouldn't count against them. Hey, guess what? Grade has always sucked, and this sucks even more. |
