Not their best, but I like it. Score is for Horsebites.

shredsavage.... those words weren't taken out of your mouth. they were felched.

look, we're not talking about some technical range for the folks at juliard, butit's fucking idiotic to deny the fact that something exists that differentiates good vocals from poor ones. not just anyone can make a great record.

Creativity is the antithesis of punk? Okay, Scarecrow.

I love the arguments on this site. Someone said a while ago that Paint It Black was "underproduced". No fucking way, kids.

To the dude below me:
You took the words right out of my mouth.

"They sound like they like music and good music at that, but let's face it, not everyone's cut out to be creative and make music. No slight on them. Deal with it."

Yeah, I'm sure John Weiffenbach of Void and Cal of Discharge spent hours getting their vocals in shape for performance... Hhahaha.

"Not everyone is cut out to be creative"?

Isn't this the antithesis of punk? Get a fucking life.

I like it. I like it a lot. Bullshit Detector equals greatness.

...evildeadalive

Oh, and who here thinks that "Punk Sucks"? That's my mantra from now on.

Oh...ok. Yeah, the whole modern thrash argument makes sense. Why can't there be any bands that rip off MDC?

You'd probobly prefer he'd sound like Davey Havok or that fat bitch from Fallout Boy. You can keep all those bands with pretty boy voices, cuz I ain't with that. Keep your singing lessons out of my hardcore.

Shut up. I love how you namedrop flamebait bands to try to discredit what I said about their vocals. I never said anything about "pretty boy voices." You interpreted it as that, because you're defensive because you know NMDS's vocals are weak sauce. He doesn't have the pipes. Anyone who knows the Kid Dynamite story knows that Shevchuk spent a lot of time getting his voice in shape and knowing how to control it. It's not just screaming. And that difference is HUGE. Tom Petta is someone who also has discussed, in interviews, the development of vocal chords. Same as the guy from Avail. These are hardcore (or quasi-hardcore) singers that actually know how to utilize their vocals. NMDS is mediocre musically, but fine, and then they have vocals by an unmusical guy. He's the punchline to the joke "what do you call a guy who likes to hang out with musicians." They sound like they like music and good music at that, but let's face it, not everyone's cut out to be creative and make music. No slight on them. Deal with it.

Paying a shit ton of money to record analog isn't punk. Bands without big budgets can't afford that shit.

Yeah this band is not really pop punk influenced at all, their first two albums especially are about the closest modern analog you'll find to more midtempo 80s USHC. It seems like much of the contingent on this site who listen to 80s and underground hardcore don't accept any modern bands unless they're way more thrashy; even in the 80s not every hardcore band sounded like DRI.

Yeah...I love Dag Nasty, and used to love GB, so I know about the whole "melodic Hardcore" thing. It just sounds too clean. But that may just be because of the digital production. I HATE albums recorded onto digital. Really, CDs that are recorded analog and then digitally mastered sound more..."real".

This album is great and will end up on my end-of-the-year list in some form.

Have you heard this album? How is it slickly produced? I was actually kinda shocked when I heard it cause it didnt sound over produced especially since they are on Jade Tree and Strike Anywhere's album was extremely over produced! And also, have you ever heard of Dag Nasty or Gorilla biscuits? How is this Pop Punk influenced? I just dont hear that.

See, this is the type of music that's the pop-punk version of Black Flag or Minor Threat -- not really "hardcore" but more "hardcore-influenced melodic pop-punk". Of course, everyone on this site will say "that sounds great!". I, however, still prefer music that isn't slickly overproduced and is merely a mockery of the "punk rock" that came before it.

You'd probobly prefer he'd sound like Davey Havok or that fat bitch from Fallout Boy. You can keep all those bands with pretty boy voices, cuz I ain't with that. Keep your singing lessons out of my hardcore.

And please excuse the mistake in the first sentence. You know what it means.

The vocals sound like they're from someone who likes music but isn't too someone who can make it themselves. I don't think people realize that singing is like an instrument and that it takes a lot of work and talent to sound good.

Decent review. Rad record. Good live.

the reason I compared them to Kid Dynamite was because like Kid Dynamite they take influence from the 80's rather than the "metallic hardcore" I thought that was spelled out pretty clear. The Strike Anywhere comment was because of the melodies, and frankly if you take hardcore bands from the 80's (Gorilla Biscuits, Embrace, Turning Point) that infused their songs with melody there is no way you can say it was as present with them as it is with NMDS. Maybe with Dag Nasty but again to say Dag Nasty sounds like NMDS is even more of stretch than Strike Anywhere

To be fair this does sound a lot more like Kid Dynamite than any previous NMDS effort, there's a real effort for vocal melodies. The other big change is that the songs lack the anthemic punch in favor of little nuances and odd riffs. This album has the best artwork and some of the best NMDS songs on it (Tightrope, Bullshit Detector) but it's also the first NMDS album I've heard with songs I just can't get into (Cough up Blood, I'm Infected). There's nothing wrong per se with the production but I liked some of these songs better live. I agree with the reviewer, I'd give the s/t an 8 but just because I like that better doesn't mean this is a regression, its pretty ambitious.

And Retard ( I love that you took that as a name so anyone responding to you would have to call you that. I wish I'd thought of it), most of us aren't kids, we're in our twenties and we calls as we sees em.

I'm not comparing this to Kid Dynamite because it sounds like it's kind of the same genre at that's all I know. It's because the vocals sounded like Jason, and the music was pretty similar, too. I'm not saying they ape KD like Shook Ones do, just that if you like one, you'll like the other.

The only thing they have in common with bands like Strike Anywhere and Kid Dynamite is the fact that they draw their influences from many of the same bands. They sound more authentically 80's than either of those bands, and maybe you're just a new school kid and that's why you're not into it. They're pissed but not macho, and their catchy without being sugary and poppy. I think this record is flat out awesome.

People are out of their minds when they put this band up against the bands that they tend to compare them to. From what everyone says about this band, I should absolutely love them, but I think they're pretty bland and tedious.

This doesn't sound like Kid Dynamite at all. Besides the fact that it's fast and slightly melodic.

Kids, you have to learn that this kind of music was around way before KD, because when you try to compare pretty much an 80's HC sounding band like this to some 90's band, you sound stupid.

-Retard

very good review

This album is solid, and this band kills live. I saw then in Atlanta with Lords, and there were maybe 12 people there, but they played like there was 200.

oh man, this is a great album. a couple of songs drag a bit, but then again, songs like "tightrope" and "destroy at all cost" make up for them.

this is a solid 8/10

Also. Nice mention of the artwork, because it looks awesome. I can't wait til No Idea gets the vinyl finished and I can have a 12" copy.

This record rips. It's a grower not a shower. Most people I know who give it more than a couple listens really end up loving it. It'll be on my year end list for sure.

Check it http://www.myspace.com/horsebites

this is just a very boring record to me

whatevz

A-W-E-S-O-M-E

Cough up blood is a punk rock anthem... don't deny it!!

Still have been meaning to check this out. Love the artwork.

How are these guys live? They're coming to town soon with Clit 45.

Also, does anyone know if there is a site where Richard Minino (their drummer) has his artwork up (He does the cover)? I really like this style.

There's no excuse not to own the NMDS/Western Addiction split on No Idea. That said, a full album of NMDS might be a bit much.

I love this cd. I don't see much of a Strike anywhere comparison and the only thing I really find in common with KD, is the vocals(only slightly). "Coughing Up Blood", has such a catchy chorus. Also, the artwork in the book is complete radassness.

I don't know about your ear, Brian, but I definitely hear it.
I didn't have a lot of money when I found this in the record store. I listened to it, and took the headphones off pretty quick, because I couldn't afford to spend the money when I had Kid Dynamite CDs at home that I barely listen to. For a fan of Kid Dynamite, this CD would be rad, but for someone who only listens to KD casually, this probably isn't worth my money. But for anyone who likes bands like Shook Ones and No Trigger, buy this.

the Strike Anywhere point I tend to see in the vocla melodies at times is the closest comparison I could make becuase it is more melodius than say Sinking Ships but it isn't as melodic as say Lifetime

Several notes on this:

-I was going to review this but feared the wrath of the site for giving it the same score Mr. Keaton did here.

-That being said, I do really like it; it's baby steps up from their past efforts, but still their best one yet. Definitely on the cusp of an 8, mind you.

-Maybe my ear is weak, but I really don't hear any of the Strike Anywhere / Kid Dynamite comparisons this is getting. I've always thought the band established a much more direct line to `80s hardcore than those bands and while this is more structured than S/T or Abrasive, it doesn't change that entirely.

-I actually gave this a 4 in the newest issue of AP but the score was bumped down as my review apparently read like a 3. Don't hate!

-As far as year-end lists go, this will likely be an honorable mention if not a very close contender for my top 20.

That artwork is sweet. Havent heard this yet but it sounds really interesting.