Punknews.org LogoPunknews.org

Sign In | create an account

 
Staff IconVarious - Abacus: Listen Or Pose (Cover Artwork)

Various

Abacus: Listen Or Pose (2005)
Abacus Recordings

Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:


Contributed by: Jesse
(
others by this writer | submit your own
)


Published on August 30th 2005


Oh goody! A compilation. Well, we all know how much I love these! Let's get at it!

Well now, this band plays metal, and so does that band! Ooh, that one's a metalcore band. There's some math-metal. Uh-oh, that one sounds like nü-metal. They better be careful. Hey, that one's not terrible. Swarm Of The Lotus. Sounds kind of inventive. I mean, not like Reign In Blood coming out in 1986, but you know, still pretty good for an overplayed genre. Ion Dissonance is sort of crazy stuff that's worth a listen. This Swarm of the Lotus is pretty good actually. Eh, Embrace The End isn't my type of stuff, and I hope that cookie-cutter metalcore isn't your bag either.

DEVILINSIDE is just as crappy as before. I could see this played on a more "edgy" modern rock radio station. Blech. Next. Maroon. Well, next to Turmoil it sounds like an audio oasis. Bleeding Kansas is probably the closest thing to hardcore on this album, though everything is basically just metal. Wow. After I pressed the pause button, it all went away, and I forgot every single little bit of it.

Well, now that I think about it, Swarm Of The Lotus was the only band worth a damn on this thing, and they weren't mind-blowing or anything. Just pleasant metal with enough time-signature changes to keep it interesting.

Wait, what was I just listening to? Oh yeah, the Abacus compilation. I had completely forgot. I mean, the fan on my laptop is whirring pretty loudly and I had just gotten a little bit too wrapped up in the noise it's making after I stopped that assload of shit from playing in my iTunes. Hmm. I wonder if we have any of those enchiladas left? Ooh, can't forget -- I start work on Thursday. I should probably write a note so I remember to set my alarm. Wait, what was I doing here? Oh right, check my e-mail. Hmmm...nothing but porn invites. Seems like I'm forgetting something...something I was supposed to do while I was at the computer...oh yeah! Review that Abacus compilation! I wonder what it's going to be like. Probably metal. I'll just slip that into my CD slot and…oh, hunh. Look at that, it's already in my computer. 'll just press play here, then open my browser and start this review...




Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.
    Anonymous (September 3, 2005)

    "Wait, what was I just listening to? Oh yeah, the Abacus compilation. I had completely forgot. I mean, the fan on my laptop is whirring pretty loudly and I had just gotten a little bit too wrapped up in the noise it's making after I stopped that assload of shit from playing in my iTunes. Hmm. I wonder if we have any of those enchiladas left? Ooh, can't forget -- I start work on Thursday. I should probably write a note so I remember to set my alarm. Wait, what was I doing here? Oh right, check my e-mail. Hmmm...nothing but porn invites. Seems like I'm forgetting something...something I was supposed to do while I was at the computer...oh yeah! Review that Abacus compilation! I wonder what it's going to be like. Probably metal. I'll just slip that into my CD slot and…oh, hunh. Look at that, it's already in my computer. 'll just press play here, then open my browser and start this review... "

    Way to blow a good review there Jesse

    Anonymous (September 3, 2005)

    My band is doing some pretty cool stuff in equationcore/pythagreon-metal.

    -Will

    maverick (September 2, 2005)

    Yeah, Swarm Of The Lotus are doing some mighty cool shit with in the math/tech-metal genre. I'm digging their CD.

    -Scott

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    My ass sounds better than this review.

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    my ass sounds better than this CD

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    don't review stuff

    etwiels88 (September 2, 2005)

    Ion Dissonance or All Else Failed weren't on this thing? Booooo.

    Score's for Swarm Of The Lotus. Their vocals are raw.

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    if you like Swarm of the Lotus, they are tour with a great band from NC called Bloodjinn. check them out.

    4th- NYC, NY @ Sin'e
    5th- Amityville, NY @ Molly Blooms 2 w/ Cipher
    6th- Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheelz
    7th- Lexington, OH @ Lexington Community Park
    8th- Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar
    9th- Chicago, IL @ Depaul University McGaw Hall Rm 130
    10th- Minneapolis, MN @ The Rock w/ After The Burial
    11th- Fargo, ND @ Billiards On Broadway
    13th- Denver, CO @ Climax Lounge
    14th- Salt Lake City/Odgen, UT @ Club Boom-VA
    15th- Spokane, WA @ Fat Tuesday's
    16th- Seattle, WA @ The Catwalk
    17th- Portland, OR @ The Food Hole
    18th- San Francisco, CA @ 58 Tehama St Warehouse
    19th- Livermore, CA @ Unity Skate & Music w/ Butcher Park
    20th- Corona, CA @ Showcase Theatre
    21st- Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory Front Room w/ Trephine
    22nd- Phoenix, AZ @ Metal Devastation
    24th- El Paso, TX @ House Of Rock & Roll (HORR)
    25th- Dallas, TX @ Texas Underground
    26th- San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
    27th- Baton Rouge, LA @ The Darkroom
    28th- Savannah, GA @ The Jinx
    29th- Marietta, GA @ Swayze's
    30th- Augusta, GA @ Lokal Loudness Live w/ 88 mph

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    Devilinside aren't radio sounding at all.

    At least when I saw them live, they weren't. They're just metal. Not metal kids with their little sister's T-Shirts and angular haircuts can enjoy... The only people I can see buying their crap is the mechanic type.

    Live, they were quite solid.

    And before anyone says "well, his point of view on what's radio is different". To that I have to say that nothing as fast or as metally as Devilinside has been played on the radio since Slayer got huge.

    I guess you could say they're boring metal, but they certainly aren't friendly to the MTV crowd.

    -Will

    Anonymous (September 2, 2005)

    you must be a poser then jesse.

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Anchors (September 2, 2005)

    I got like 3 copies of this when I saw Ion Dissonance and Buried Inside in May. Swarm Of The Lotus does indeed rule, and so does Ion Dissonance, but everything else was terrrrible.

    TheOneTrueBill (September 2, 2005)

    And Jesse wins again! It's been awhile since I've read a classic "Jesse" review.

    Features

    Exclusive Streams

    Newest Reviews

    Punknews.org Team

    Managing Editor

    Adam White

    News Editors

    Kira Wisniewski
    Brittany Strummer
    Andrew Waterfield
    Katy Hardy
    Matthew Baldwin
    Armando Olivas
    John Flynn

    Video Editor

    Chris Moran

    Social Media Editor

    Justin August

    Copy Editor

    Amelia Cline

    Reviews Editor

    Joe Pelone

    Interviews Editor

    Richard Verducci

    Publisher

    Aubin Paul

    ISSN 1710-5366



    © Copyright 1999-2012 Punknews.org



    Other Places to Go

    Punknews.org Flickr Pool