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Emanuel

Soundtrack To A Headrush
2005
Vagrant

Emanuel - Soundtrack To A Headrush (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Hein
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Vagrant Records (Logo)

Published on March 18th 2005

This Louisville, Kentucky foursome got signed to Vagrant late 2004, and I have no clue about their 7-year history, but I have a pretty good idea what the future has in store for them. I'm pretty sure that this band will end up being one of the revelations in 2005 for anyone who's into powerful yet melodic and heartfelt rock. I intentionally don't use the words punk rock, because I actually consider this music to be the new popular indie rock of this era, which I consider to have become a bit heavier than it used to be. I feel the last couple months/years there's a distinct evolution from emo-rocking bands towards a more edgy rock sound, often topped with screams.

Emanuel definitely has that "edgy" and "screamery" sound all through this disc with very intense guitars and drums, but also with a singer that succeeds very well in blowing up this already energetic music with a determined voice that switches well between the more clean, melodic parts and the screams that for once sound very well at place. The starting track "The Hey Man" (including a very danceable breakdown) is without a doubt the best song on the disc, setting the tone for many good ones to follow; "You Can't Rape The Willing," the title track and "The New Violence" being exceptionally good energetic songs as well, while a song like "Breathe Underwater" is brilliantly executed melodic rock. Occasionally the pace drops a few steps, like in "Make Tonight," which reminded me of too many boring CDs I've been listening to lately that try to build up tension towards the end of a song. And for some of you out there, the band might lean a bit too much towards arena rock bands, but maybe that's only due to the slick production that comes with it. In fact, I find it very hard to determine where this band really belongs. It sure as hell has little to do with Fat Wreck skate punk, because it sounds too much plain-rock for that, which might be the same reason why it doesn't really belong to the screamo bands either, and it's nowhere near emo either because there's no tearjerkers on here. At times I sensed a little bit of Faith No More's more energetic endeavours, but then again the music is too hard to make that comparison either. Maybe a glimpse of more grungy or even metal bands can be found here, but there's surely too much pumping and thundering guitars to try to look at it from that side. Looking at it more contemporary, maybe Billy Talent melodics mixed with some the Bronx adrenaline and Hives rock'n'roll would be a somewhat poor effort to describe their music.

Fact is that this release pleased me very much, and although I didn't really experience it as a sound I never heard before, it succeeds well in using good elements of different genres to meld it into something that is quite new and different like anything I've listened to (especially from Vagrant) recently. Try out this release and discover a band that with some luck and help might be getting far.



People who liked this also liked:
Thrice - The Artist In The AmbulanceChiodos - All's Well That Ends WellThe F-Ups - The F-UpsBad Religion - The Process Of BeliefThe Living End - The Living EndThe Living End - Modern ARTilleryAlkaline Trio - Goddamnit88 Fingers Louie - Back On The StreetsStrung Out - Twisted by DesignNo Use For A Name - Making Friends



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    Posted by miniblindbandit on 2006-07-28 15:25:24

    boourns

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 10:36 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Anyone who doesn't want to have sex with every member of this band (at the same time) is clearly deaf.

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-06-08 14:50:19

    I saw these dudes last night and they were anything but exciting. I stood there through their set in boredom. Plus the lead singer had on the same shirt as me. So fuck him.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 3, 2005 at 10:36 AM (EDT)

    Emanuel Rocks My Fricken World...bitch please!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 3, 2005 at 10:36 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This band is amazing..absurdly devine and lovely

    Posted by pacer on 2005-03-23 03:33:57

    You took pogs to the hard rock cafe? You are gay.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 5:12 PM (EST)

    I lost all my pogs at the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago about 8 years ago. I still am angry to this day.

    Posted by pacer on 2005-03-22 13:21:13

    Comeback pog, pogs fail, strike pog, straylight pog...

    This game is much more fun with the word pants - pants against the machine, pants religion, the velvet underpants...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 10:27 AM (EST)

    umm... fatwreck... pog or pog, POGFX, pog to pog, pog out, no use for a pog, Pogwagon, Me First and the Pogge Pogge's, Pogagandhi?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 21, 2005 at 10:56 PM (EST)

    pogs are below the threshold

    Posted by swingline on 2005-03-20 22:01:52
    My Score:

    http://img77.exs.cx/img77/3164/emanuelpogscopy2ol.jpg

    i just had to do it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 7:49 PM (EST)

    xSLAMDOWNx
    Ten Yard Pog

    "If there's one thing a man should be measured by at the end of the day, it's how many pogs he's flipped... And how many slammers he's busted doing it."

    -BSD

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-03-20 19:22:18

    Pog On Fire, Darkest Pog, Pogs Set Fire, Modern Life Are Pogs, The Holy Mountain Of Pogs.

    Posted by swingline on 2005-03-20 17:53:05

    Every Pog I Die, Between The Pog and Me, Burying Your Pogs, From Pog to Magic Cards, As I Lay Playing Pogs

    more i say... MORE

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 5:36 PM (EST)

    Reggie and the Pog Effect, Pogsfall, Pog Survive

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 5:14 PM (EST)

    hahaha. there needs to be more pog-themed hardcore bands.

    I'll take "Pog Crisis", "Pogs mistaken for pepperoni" and "Pog-tied and ready to die"

    -Ken

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 5:06 PM (EST)

    Am I the only one here who had the complete Image pog series, with various pictures of Spawn on them?

    -BSD

    Posted by swingline on 2005-03-20 15:33:45

    i'm not the hipster here.. i wear plaid. they write hip teenage bitch drool music while wearing the newest retro track jackets. and another thing, how dare you interrupt the pog talk.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 1:41 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    This album is awesome, and it's a shame you hipsters can't pull your head out of your ass long enough to appreciate it. Revolutionary... no. But they've taken a common genre and sound, and fused it together with bunch of different dynamics, completely making it their own.

    Also, if you've heard the CD... you'll know they sound nothing like Recover.

    9/10 from me simpily for the lyrical content, song structures, and overall writing ability shown on this album.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 11:20 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I've just counted all of my pogs.

    I'm missing 12 to complete Series I.

    And just 7 to complete Series II (strangely, I have everything except #1 though #7. What's up with that?)

    -Chinatown

    Posted by vocalyouth on 2005-03-20 00:58:05

    I had some sweet pogs.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 5:05 PM (EST)

    "Anyone remember Crash Test Dummies? Those were cool too. I still have about twelve of those motherfuckers, as well as that "car and wall" set. You put some Dummies in the car, then push it towards the wall. With good enough of a push, upon collision their limbs go flying across the room .

    -Chinatown"

    Oh my god, the one thing that could unify Chinatown and I is an agreement about how awesome the fat crash test dummy was... I remember his action figure had a pop out tongue...

    And the CGI cartoon show.... Fuck!

    -BSD

    Posted by swingline on 2005-03-19 17:04:39

    over 500 magic cards. big mix of all colors and rarities... 40 bucks. any takers?

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 5:04 PM (EST)

    Don't buy this album on iTunes it's butchered.

    Don't buy this record, period.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 4:08 PM (EST)

    I want everyone to go to your window, and yell...."Im mad as hell, and im not gonna take it anymore!"

    Oh, and then play pogs too. It will be civil disobedience at its finest.

    -!Greenvandal!

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 3:40 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Anyone remember Crash Test Dummies? Those were cool too. I still have about twelve of those motherfuckers, as well as that "car and wall" set. You put some Dummies in the car, then push it towards the wall. With good enough of a push, upon collision their limbs go flying across the room .

    -Chinatown

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 3:37 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    This discussion has convinced me to take out my Series I and II Pogs from their cases and lay them out on my bed, in numerical order.

    -Chinatown

    Posted by swingline on 2005-03-19 15:30:30

    how cool would it be if we all just sat on our sidewalks or drive way again playing pogs?

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 9:19 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    take a look at a picture of these guys, then look at a picture of recover. then listen to both bands. you will be confused as to who is who

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 9:55 PM (EST)

    Only band I can really compare it to is Vaux

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-03-18 16:26:23

    On that sentence alone, you officially have no right to talk shit/make fun of anyone ever again.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 1:36 PM (EST)

    We need a new review of this every week just so we can have a message board about pogs and/or Magic Cards.

    I have a mint Demonic Hordes.

    -BSD

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 11:27 AM (EST)

    sucks

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 11:25 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Don't buy this album on iTunes it's butchered.

    Posted by mjg on 2005-03-18 10:22:45

    merd

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 2:09 AM (EST)

    this album doesnt even deserve a review i think, let along having two
    in consecutive weeks

    Posted by maverick on 2005-03-18 01:17:53

    Ha, and there I was, wondering why it was taking so damn long for the second new review to be posted...

    Ha! I was in the exact same boat. I kept on hitting reload, thinking, "What the hell is Brian doing over there?"

    -Scott

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 18, 2005 at 12:35 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Ha, and there I was, wondering why it was taking so damn long for the second new review to be posted...

    -Chinatown

    Posted by gladimnotemo on 2005-03-18 00:08:27

    Two reviews was necessary?