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Trophy Scars first offering of new material in a year and a half comes in the form of Goodnight Alchemy, a second consecutive EP that, regardless of its album type, runs to the shorter end of a half-hour. The band's screamy, progressive post-hardcore may end up receiving a file-in with any of their peers, but Trophy Scars' version is entirely more intense and about a thousand times more creative.

While it's clear the band has grown a bit since 2004's Hospital Music For The Aesthetics Of Language in that they strive for even more ambitious territory with swiftly-executed loud/soft dynamics, tempos, and time signature changes, there's still a lot that the two albums share in common. They still seem to be walking some rather refreshing path halfway between Thursday and the Blood Brothers. There's occasional use of keyboard set to piano that never comes off as overdramatic or ironic, sometimes artfully detached and otherwise smartly integrated. Vocalist Jerry Jones can still mutter like a Conor Oberst clone when he wants to, and that's only at select points, like for one line in "Traps And Tricks And Such" and a three-second narrative tale closing "Cats As A Measurement Of Time."

While Trophy Scars have always had a pretty vicious penchant for raunchy lyrics, "Traps And Tricks And Such" is a bit excessive at one point, with a corny segue involving a girl continuously moaning for around 10 seconds. Following it, though, is an intense, building exchange of guitar and piano interplay that gradually finishes the song with a little girl half-singing/talking some lines in the breakdown; needless to say, it makes up for it quite well.

The middle portion isn't quite as strong as its preceding tracks, but there's still some interesting compositions seeping through; "Cats As A Measurement Of Time" relies on a left-speaker separated riff for most of its running time in the beginning, and letting another, more distorted one join it on the right side after a pummeling interlude of chaotic drum-work and guitars. "Don't Fuss Over Spiders Thrown" finds the band creepily muttering/growling over a bouncing octave for a fair portion of its running time.

A new tactic of the band is to include much more atmospheric guitars that really fill up the sound well. "Lesson 3" contains plenty of this, and it adds a lot to the song, creating a further dramatic landscape of sounds with quickly building and falling climaxes.

Goodnight Alchemy is another great example of just how much life really can be breathed into a dying subgenre. It may not be quite as powerful as its immediate ancestor, but it shows the band isn't conforming to any mold to appeal to a wider collective of potential listeners, instead delving even further into some wholly more challenging grounds that they are apparently very capable of treading.

MP3
Jerry's The Name, Sociology's The Game

STREAM
Cats As A Measurement Of Time



People who liked this also liked:
Trophy Scars - Hospital Music For the Aesthetics of LanguageTrophy Scars - Alphabet. Alphabets.Thursday - A City by the Light DividedAt The Drive-In - Relationship Of CommandEvery Time I Die - Last Night in TownMurder by Death - In Bocca al LupoEvery Time I Die - Hot Damn!Circle Takes The Square - As The Roots UndoGatsbys American Dream - In the Land of Lost MonstersThe Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever Told



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    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 19, 2005 at 10:27 AM (EDT)

    This ep is sick. They are amazing live... Josh Weinstein thier old bass player used to ruin this band for me - now that hes not in it i'm obsessed with them. rumor has it that the full length isnt going to sound anything remotely like this cd. crazy.

    Posted by DFelon204409 on 2005-07-14 21:37:42

    Shit. If you sent me advance CDs I'd write two reviews a week. I review for sputnikmusic and my college radio station right now.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2005-07-14 13:35:19

    Anchors have you heard this CD? Do you purchase or download all the albums you review? Do you work at a place that gets advance copies?

    I'll field these...

    (1) That's BSD impersonating him. Anchors doesn't post unless he's logged in.

    (2) / (3) 90-95% of what Anchors reviews is from CDs directly sent to him from me. And yes, we get advances.

    Posted by DFelon204409 on 2005-07-14 03:38:15

    Anchors have you heard this CD? Do you purchase or download all the albums you review? Do you work at a place that gets advance copies?

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 1:32 AM (EDT)

    "Trophy Scars" review by Anchors

    Many bands try for gold medals, but only a select few wear Trophy Scars. Besides Alexisonfire and Heroin, I really can't think of any.

    This band dissapoints in a all respects. Perhaps Merlin should cook up some "Goodnight Alchemy" to lay them to rest!

    -Anchors

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 9:33 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Chinatown, I know you're barely pushing a triple digit IQ, but this was written by Brian.

    And remember your 18 Vision review? You know, the one where people made fun of you and not the album? I wouldn't talk about writing skill if I were you.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-07-13 19:59:53

    for the guy below me....

    he didnt call you a joyless boob. there was a post after yours that was deleted because it was posted on all the reviews and it was also mad gay, son

    - jones

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 7:31 PM (EDT)

    Haha sickboi called me a joyless boob, my bad sickboi I meant to put this on the Since by Man review. I had this page opened twice, Trophy Scars arent that bad. Last album was better.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 12:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Another pathetic and redundant review by Anchors!

    -Chinatown

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2005-07-13 00:32:26
    My Score:

    I like going to reviews of band that I have never heard any songs from and saying they suck, because it gives me a internet boner. I then use that internet boner to have sex with Vin Diesel.

    This is not good music.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 5:52 PM (EDT)

    ohhhh the joys of posting pointless and unfunny comments on punknews.org
    where is my joy, where has it gone!
    i'm must have lost it when i actually left my house to do SOMETHING

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-07-12 17:25:54
    My Score:

    The person below doesn't get it.

    Score is for you, you joyless boob.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 3:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This is really good, these guys dont have a bad song. Keep up the good work, a full length would be neat to.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 2:18 AM (EDT)

    Oh ya there are lots of reviews there.

    http://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands.php?bandid=369

    Posted by DFelon204409 on 2005-07-12 02:14:25
    My Score:

    Here's another review of the album from sputnikmusic.com

    http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewi d=2738&genreid=14

    Posted by benz on 2005-07-12 01:58:13
    My Score:

    Score's for their first EP.

    I know, I know, I know. There are 10000million screamo bands out there.

    I don't like any of them. This band is actually good.

    -benz

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-07-12 01:02:22

    no thanks

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-07-12 00:22:57

    I loved their EP.

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2005-07-12 00:19:38

    Great name. Ill check em out.

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