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A Voice Like Rhetoric

Ethos (2006)
self-released

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

Published on November 14th 2006

A Voice Like Rhetoric most certainly seem like a great example of a modern band weaned on the hyper prog-punk guitars of the Fall of Troy and the Sound of Animals Fighting (circa 2004). They're certainly part of a small group of bands, but ones that search for a little more within a scene largely dismissed for repetition and unoriginality, and that's why their nicely packaged (from the recording to the artwork) DIY effort is, in the very least, worth a mention.

Where A Voice Like Rhetoric's penchant for utter, mind-bending complexity reaches a bit short is in the very areas from which it should emanate: vocally and musically. The band's arrangements are well thought out and pleasingly creative, but the singing and slightly rough (but at least, never forced) screaming seem standard fare; they fail to really propel the music to that level it sure seems the band aims for. Nonetheless, their songwriting results in nifty, impressive numbers like "Please Don't Call Me a Mindless Philosophy" with its stomping stop-start guitars and wavering vocal melodies, or "Man, Multiplication Is Hard!" in its air-worthy axes. "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" would make a wonderful interlude on Minus the Bear's next album (as it does its purpose well enough here, too).

Ethos narrowly manages to come off like a progressive punk's Guitar Center in its axe-wielding wizardry since there's some decent songwriting at hand here. Once the band is capable of writing a few more awesome songs and not just a few awesome riffs, we'll really have something here.

STREAM
Never Trust a French Auto Mechanic
Please Don't Call Me a Mindless Philosophy
Pssst, Our Vestige Is Showing
Foxhole
I'm Sort of a Perfectionis... Perfectionis.. T

Ethos album sampler

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Anonymous (November 16, 2006)

To the people who think this sounds just like every other band out there, please let me know who these other bands are, because they must be pretty damn good. AVLR is a group of very talented and creative songwriters.

~Mark the Shark

Anonymous (November 15, 2006)

8 7/8 8 10 - 5/8 6/8 etc.... Those are time signatures in the couple parts of the first song. If there are more bands doing this out there let me know. There is something different here and it wasn’t a totally dismissive review.

Anonymous (November 15, 2006)

Ugh, I'm so tired of band ripping off this sound.

The intro to that first song on myspace is pretty much exactly like what a local band here has. :( Both taking their sound from the same sources I guess.

Good review though, you were right about the vocals not really doing much for the direction and elevation of each song and what not.

Anonymous (November 15, 2006)

this band is in now way punk, and reviewing them as such seems foolish and ignorant. as progressive rock, i think the cd is both smart and catchy. they're great live.
i'm sure some one sided, ill-informed reviewers would like to see the music world through punk-tinted glasses, but it just isn't the case. it's like comparing apples and oranges.

Anonymous (November 15, 2006)

this band has nothing to do with progressiveness, they sound like every other band.

jacobe (November 15, 2006)

I think this band is done....

Anonymous (November 14, 2006)

can't believe this got reviewed on here... good band... i have their 7" split with outclassed, which kicks much ass...

-andrew13

feeeding5000 (November 14, 2006)

I do not like this band's name. Not at all.

Anonymous (November 14, 2006)

"hyper prog-punk"

This band is in no way punk. It even says on their MySpace that they are just Indie. Where did you get punk from?

This band is okay, the screaming doesn't really sound very good.

Anonymous (November 14, 2006)

why listen to this crap when you can just read Kafka

Anonymous (November 14, 2006)

Prog punk is an oxymoron.
It's simply prog rock.

lou (November 14, 2006)

first.

it's good to see this finally getting released, and subsequently reviewed here.

i'll be curious to see what some of the more respectable members of this board have to say about the album.

i've only heard the actual release maybe once or twice in its entirety. so i'm not the best person to comment on it yet, but it's good stuff live. i dig the cover art too.