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Street Dogs - State of Grace
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I got a huge kick out of Blood for Blood's Outlaw Anthems, but all the same never really gave Serenity a chance when it came out. Anyway, a month or so back I overheard a bit of the song "Hangin' on the Corner" and thought it was solid as fuck.

As it turns out, "Hangin' on the Corner" is an awesome song. I think if Irvine Welsh quit writing novels and instead chose to write lyrics for Blood for Blood, the product would be pretty close to this. (In other words, it's got lyrics about kids ODing, families falling apart, and living on the street). Musically, it sounds like Outlaw Anthems if Outlaw Anthems had lots of poppy vocal parts, although they do mix it up a little more at times. About the lyrics to "Hangin' on the Corner"...they seem a little over the top, but if I'm in the right mood I can take it pretty seriously. It's just so far from old Blood for Blood that I get confused sometimes. The repeated shouts of "WE CARE!" are a bit of a change from "Fucking your pussy was like fucking the wound from a shotgun blast, with gangrene" and other such lyrical gems from their previous effort.

If every track on Serenity sounded just like "Hangin' on the Corner" I'd love this shit. Sadly, with only 7 tracks, two of which are practically the same 30-second song, one of which boasts the chorus about how the dude just "gotta gotta got to save my soul" and reminds me of "Gonna Rock Around the Clock," and a couple throwaways -- well, I'm a little let down. Oh, but I oughtta mention that the 30-second song that opens and closes the EP is good. Oh shit, and I also ought to mention how stoked on Jesus these guys have gotten. The first thing you hear is the Serenity prayer that people recite for Alcoholics Anonymous and there's a few shoutouts to JC scattered throughout. Some kids might have a problem with that; I say to each his own.

Long story short: Kind of a mediocre release, but I know they still have it in 'em to put out some amazing shit down the road. If you've never listened to Blood for Blood before, I'd say go check out the aforementioned Outlaw Anthems before this one. However, if you have heard them before, don't rag on me for saying Outlaw Anthems and not Wasted Youth Brew or one of the older releases. I'm not retarded, I don't think Outlaw Anthems is their only album or their only good one. It just happens to be my favorite. Deal with it.






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    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at 7:28 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    thank god theres no fuckin metal in blood or blood
    metalcore sucks, B4B rules

    Posted by lushj on 2005-10-11 20:35:23

    "Also, CIV's second album is def. not lisetnable. thats a hunk of shit"

    I know, that's the one I said was not listenable. "Blackout" is listenable, but definitely not a top record.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 at 1:07 PM (EDT)

    attention OnTheAttack:

    your retarded. Your probably too much of a pussy to like the Fuck You's of old blood for blood.

    The runaway cover while sorta fun is actually.. well.. sorta terrible. This is not that solid from start to finish, and i miss the Fuck You's. The Fuck You's are B4B. There are approx. 3 good songs on this. Buy it and figure it out for yourself.
    Also, CIV's second album is def. not lisetnable. thats a hunk of shit

    get any other b4b release

    Posted by lushj on 2005-10-11 00:46:06

    The Del Shannon tune? Interesting... thanks!

    Posted by OnTheAttack on 2005-10-11 00:37:18

    I'd say closer to the DKM comparison. It's just got some melody to it, and they do a cover of "Runaway".

    Posted by lushj on 2005-10-11 00:26:28

    "It's a little poppy for some,...No, BFB isn't sober or the new Christian band"

    Is it poppy like DKM "Blackout" is to "Do Or Die" or is it poppy like Civ's 2nd record is to "Set Your Goals"? i.e., listenable or not worth it?

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2005-10-11 00:08:40

    Bostoncore? Jerry's Kids, motherfucker. Fuck this crap, and fuck Slap-shit too.

    -Ken

    Posted by OnTheAttack on 2005-10-10 20:48:43
    My Score:

    Can't believe it took over a year to have this reviewed. Solid record from start to finish. Outlaw Anthems was just a rehashing of shit they'd done years before, whereas this album is a fresh start. It's a little poppy for some, but I think that's due to Rob doing stuff like Sinners & Saints on the side. You don't hear the "Fuck You"s that you hear every other line in past records. No, BFB isn't sober or the new Christian band; it is a shame that they're basically done, though.

    Posted by lushj on 2005-10-10 18:44:20

    I love the early BFB records, and I would definitely call them tough-guy hardocre/moshcore.

    Let's see, fast part, singalong chorus dealing with betrayal or other interpersonal issues, followed by slow chugga-chugga breakdown as pioneered by Youth Of Today, Agnostic Front, Slapshot. The guitar tone's definitely metallic, more than, say Youth Of Today, but maybe less than Sick Of It All's later records.

    Maybe COMPARED to the bands you mention they're la-la-la pop punk, but that doesn't mean that they aren't moshcore (what with the... ahem... mosh parts after the bridge).

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 10, 2005 at 4:40 PM (EDT)

    Well the reason people are calling blood for blood shitty metalcore/brocore/whatever is because this is a punk site.

    they sound like a boston hardcore band. i mean, where is the metal? youd have to be fucking retarded to relate this to metal in anyway.

    that being said, toughguy? not really. sure their shows are pretty 'tough' but...this isnt toughguy hardcore.listen to some shitty band like until the end if you want toughguy mosh bullshit.

    -bryan styles

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 10, 2005 at 8:59 AM (EDT)

    i love how everyone is calling this band brocore or metalcore.

    blood for blood is pissed off old school tinged hardcore/punk with over the top ridiculous lyrical content. no metal and no chugga chugga hatebreed styled breakdowns.

    if you think this band is anything but that then chances are youve never even bothered listening to them

    Posted by lushj on 2005-10-10 01:26:32

    Wait, Blood For Blood have found Jesus and... sobriety? What? Is this a prank?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, October 10, 2005 at 1:15 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "if from ashes rise have such great lyrics, then how come their jade tree site doesnt have them?
    i mean, if theyre so great lyrically, id think their record label would want to shove them to the forefront, since their music is so shitty.
    maybe i shouldve googled for xFROMASHESRISEx, but i have shit to do.

    score's for this album."

    Way to make really idiotic assumption about a band that's not at all how you generalized them...

    From Ashes Rise are hardcore punk in the crusty sense... Not brocore, and certainly not at all like this trash.

    -Will

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2005-10-09 23:27:44

    Hey, a shitty violent metalcore band on thorp records...Who would have guessed??!?

    Go floorpunch a fucking landmine.

    -Ken

    Posted by awkward on 2005-10-09 21:43:40

    hahaha BFB are into jesus nowadays? that made my day. fucking HILARIOUS! i take their suckiness seriously though, since this band alone has had a huge impact on the finnish hardcore scene: since they first toured finland, everyone in the scene suddenly turned all "macho" and dropped veganism and sxe. one band did that. changed an entire national hardcore scene. one fucking band. so FUCK blood for blood, forever.

    Posted by rkl on 2005-10-09 20:25:31
    My Score:

    if from ashes rise have such great lyrics, then how come their jade tree site doesnt have them?
    i mean, if theyre so great lyrically, id think their record label would want to shove them to the forefront, since their music is so shitty.
    maybe i shouldve googled for xFROMASHESRISEx, but i have shit to do.

    score's for this album.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 4:15 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This band has a few rocking songs but their retarded lyrics totally ruin everything. Go listen to From Ashes Rise or something, this shit is wack.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 2:25 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    great record, proves that there are still some good bands in this scene that gets continously wasted by metal and emo shit

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 2:21 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Some faggot in a Blood For Blood shirt kneed me in the stomach one time. Fuck that guy.

    Dude, that made my day. Makes me think this band is all assholes too. Scores for you.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 1:52 PM (EDT)

    This band is hilarious, especially that song that goes, "some fucking day!/some way!" The audio equivalent of taking a cold shower and thinking about sports.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 1:13 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    hail blood for blood!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 11:51 AM (EDT)

    fuck meathead moshcore bands. in fact, no, keep playing guys. maybe you'll eventually kill yourselves off at every show. gonna take some time but patience is a virtue.

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-10-09 11:36:20

    "Best Hardcore band...atreyu kids beware this is dangerous for your health"

    We all know you listened to them three years ago too.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 9:30 AM (EDT)

    I went to a BRAWL and a BLOOD FOR BLOOD show broke out.

    I'm so sick of the scenesters around my town wearing that shirt. Most of them never even bought a Blood for Blood album, they just got the shirts off eBay cuz they said "Blood" on them and made it sound like they were regualr participants in 'the mosh'

    Posted by BrandonSideleau on 2005-10-09 08:38:41

    God I HATE this band........the ultimate in knucklehead-"hardcore"........shit like this gives real hardcore a bad name/rap.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 5:10 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Best Hardcore band...atreyu kids beware this is dangerous for your health

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 4:57 AM (EDT)

    I didn't like this one at first but it grew on me pretty fast

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 9, 2005 at 4:49 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Score is for that Joss Whedon flick of the same name.

    Posted by GreenVandal on 2005-10-09 02:07:39
    My Score:

    Serenity is a really good movie. Go see it even if your not a firefly fan!

    I havent heard blood for blood since the days when victory records was where it was at...that victory style 3 comp was like the soundtrack to my freshamn year of higschool.

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-10-09 01:30:57
    My Score:

    Some faggot in a Blood For Blood shirt kneed me in the stomach one time. Fuck that guy.

    Posted by skaboom on 2005-10-09 01:11:26

    I liked Outlaw Anthems for about 3 songs. Then I realized that it wasn't a joke. They really do "got some kind of hate".