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Sinking Ships - Meridian (Cover Artwork)

Sinking Ships

Meridian (2006)
6131 Records

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Contributed by: BrandonWalsh
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Published on March 24th 2006


This has all the makings of another typical boring hardcore record. Pick slides right after one guitar cuts out in the first measure, buildups, and gang vocals...however, this record is everything but boring.

Sinking Ships gets a bad wrap sometimes for sounding too much like Champion. I hear that comparison, and would definitely say if you are a fan of Champion that you will LOVE Sinking Ships, but more than the Champion sound, I hear a heavy resemblance in the newer tracks here to Stay Gold, whose full-length, Pills and Advice, was one of the best records of 2002. This is likely due to the presence of ex-member(s) of said band in Sinking Ships.

With typical lyrics about the past, friendships, and broken promises, it is not the content of the lyrics but the delivery that really makes you listen and want to hear it. Every line feels like it is delivered from Danny's gut with more feeling than any frontman on MTV wearing girls pants with a girls haircut whining about how much he misses his girlfriend. With melodic guitar parts and melodies that are not typical these days in hardcore anymore the songs are catchy without being poppy. There is a drive in them that a lot of bands lack.

The last six tracks are taken from the band's demo, which is a bit less melodic and more straightforward than the newer songs, with the Champion comparison even easier to come by. These do what they do well, but even better are the newer offerings, which drive through with such force they drag you along whether you want to come or not.

Bottom line, this is a solid record that I would highly recommend.



People who liked this also liked:
Sinking Ships - DisconnectingRise Against - Revolutions Per MinuteLifetime - Hello BastardsThe Loved Ones - Keep Your HeartThe Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever ToldDead to Me - Cuban BallerinaShook Ones - Facetious Folly FeatKid Dynamite - Shorter, Faster, LouderKid Dynamite - Kid DynamiteDescendents - Milo Goes To College

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    Anonymous (March 26, 2006)

    Peeps in the New England area...

    Sunday, April 2nd

    Shipwreck
    Sinking Ships
    Shook Ones
    Harder the Fight
    Defiant Hearts
    Maintain

    @ Billerica Pinehurst VFW
    775 Boston Road
    Billerica, MA
    3PM MATINEE
    $8!!!

    Anonymous (March 26, 2006)

    good shit, saw em about a week ago, they were really good live.

    rkl (March 25, 2006)

    i thought this was a pretty good review.
    not very long, but lets me get a feel for what the band sounds like, via text, which is what a review should do.
    i dont want to know where theyre from, or what previous bands the second guitarist was in, just tell me about the album.

    youwinalemon (March 24, 2006)

    I saw Wilco in the city of Meridian, MS last week.

    Score is for them.

    etwiels88 (March 24, 2006)

    I like this album a lot. Nothing really sticks though.

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    good band
    bad review

    i mean, was this taken out of a high school newspaper?

    xote (March 24, 2006)

    sinking steps ... rising eyes

    was one of the best bands ever to bad theyre gone now though

    just thought i'd say that after seeing the name in the comments.

    these guys are good though reall good

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    oh and to the person talking about sinking steps.... rising eyes, they arent related

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    sinking ships really sounds nothing like champion, they really aren't similar bands at all. danny is jim's (champion vocalist) brother, and for some reason they are always clumped in with champion for that reason. sinking ships is awesome because danny takes his lyrics to another level, away from all the youth crew and second rate american nightmare stuff, to something that kids can identify with. he sings about what he knows, not what he's supposed to know. alot of their riffs are way more rock oriented than hardcore, and if it weren't for his vocal style, this band could easily be a pretty good rock band.

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    i think it's silly to criticize a band for sounding like champion when champion sounds a hell of a lot like certain other bands (ie chain of strength). just seems like a silly point to make to me (the people who say that, not the reviewer).

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    did this band used to be called sinking ships, rising eyes or some shit like that?

    BizzleBrizzle (March 24, 2006)

    I can't wait to see these guys next weekend!

    givemeamuseumandillfillit (March 24, 2006)

    Way better than the demos.

    Score is for the reviewer.

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    They were signed by Revelation, but I think this Album was released a while back on Run For Cover before the signing.

    Mute98 (March 24, 2006)

    i thought this was on revalation records? well either way, this cd is incredible, if youre a B9 style hardcore fan this is a must-heard

    Anonymous (March 24, 2006)

    Great record. BUY IT!

    kindofalongwaydown (March 24, 2006)

    i don't get into much hardcore these days, but this is quite good.

    inagreendase (March 24, 2006)

    Just got this today. Yeah, they sound a good bit like Champion, especially on the demo tracks, but man, the newer stuff is great. It's like they're taking Stay Gold's Turning Point influence and running with it full-scale. Definitely looking forward to the full-length now.

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