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Sinking Ships

Meridian
2006
6131 / Run For Cover

Sinking Ships - Meridian (Cover Artwork)

Review 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.

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 7:53 PM (EST)

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!!!

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 11:23 AM (EST)

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

Posted by rkl on 2006-03-25 22:33:52

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.

Posted by youwinalemon on 2006-03-24 22:41:04
My Score:

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

Score is for them.

Posted by etwiels88 on 2006-03-24 17:41:29

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

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 3:04 PM (EST)

good band
bad review

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

Posted by xote on 2006-03-24 13:27:13

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

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 12:46 PM (EST)

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

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 12:44 PM (EST)
My Score:

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.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 12:23 PM (EST)

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).

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 10:30 AM (EST)

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

Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-03-24 10:14:22

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

Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-03-24 06:12:24
My Score:

Way better than the demos.

Score is for the reviewer.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 1:44 AM (EST)

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

Posted by Mute98 on 2006-03-24 00:53:26

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

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 24, 2006 at 12:43 AM (EST)

Great record. BUY IT!

Posted by kindofalongwaydown on 2006-03-24 00:30:42
My Score:

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

Posted by inagreendase on 2006-03-24 00:23:47

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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Sinking Ships