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Vanna

The Search Party Never Came (2006)
Epitaph Records

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Contributed by: Matt Whelihan
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Published on November 24th 2006

I’ve already stated this twice before, and unfortunately I will have to do it again. Epitaph, a label once synonymous with skatepunk, hardcore, and straight-forward punk rock have broadened their horizons, albeit negatively, the past few years by mining trends like nü-emo, metalcore, and arena screamo. There was Matchbook Romance and From First to Last followed by bands like Escape the Fate and Day of Contempt. Now come Vanna.

The Search Party Never Came is an EP full of everything you’ve come to expect from more emo-influenced metalcore acts. Two vocalists, one buried and growling, the other whiny and “melodic,” singing and screaming lines like “with eyes gouged out these tears of blood fall, for blood is all she’s crying,” “the walls were crawling with your insides / your heart was shining like a chandelier,” and “one cut from this knife and we’ll bleed out our insides.” Meanwhile the music shifts from chugging guitars, double-bass beats and guitar screeching to major key octave chord choruses and soft note picking.

Over the course of the EP the songs seem to alternate between more traditional metal-influenced hardcore and Underoath-style tunes. On the former only the Cookie Monster vocalist is allowed out to play and the guitars stay crunchy, while on the latter big choruses and softer breakdowns interrupt the heavy segments.

What is most disappointing about The Search Party Never Came is that Vanna make it clear that they can’t hold their own in an already oversaturated genre. While the guitar playing leans towards metal at points, it never really breaks into metal’s virtuosity, and while the melodic vocals are a nice change after hearing nothing but grunts and screams, they never really offer significantly memorable parts, leaving the listener with an EP that immediately sounds familiar and almost as quickly grows old.

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Anonymous (November 27, 2006)

i love michael richards even more now. he isnt racist. hes fighting back.

Anonymous (November 27, 2006)

i love michael richards even more now. he isnt racist. hes fighting back.

wentz_equals_death (November 27, 2006)

fucking gross! i hate this "movement"! those lyrics are so fucking lame!

Anonymous (November 27, 2006)

the days of shit labels like fat and epitaph are gone. this is 2007 not 1997. get with the times and stop buying this crap these labels feed the young

crazytoledo (November 27, 2006)

Let's not forget when they had about 304 Pennywises on the label. (1208, 98 Mute, The Deviates, etc.)

Only of those bands (the Deviates) is even remotely close to soundling like Pennywise.

And who cares? All of those bands are good.

Cos (November 27, 2006)

funny how Fat never felt the need to sign trendy screamo shite. C'mon Brett, have some backbone!

Anonymous (November 26, 2006)

epitaph signing bunches of generic bands didn't start around matchbook.

Let's not forget when they had about 304 Pennywises on the label. (1208, 98 Mute, The Deviates, etc.)

Anonymous (November 25, 2006)

There has been an influx of snot balls to hit the north-eastern wall in my room over the past week.

OverDefined (November 25, 2006)

"valid review of the EP, just wait til the next record."

the one you're writing and recording?

crazytoledo (November 24, 2006)

This EP is actually something I got into, some if it is kind of'blah,' but for the most part, it's pretty good. Not as generic/bad as people will write these guys off.

fuckfatmike (November 24, 2006)

my friend puts this cd on in his car all the time and it makes me want to vomit.

also the production is probably the worst i've ever heard on a record. epitaph probably spent $100 on this recording, which is fitting, because it sounds like they spent 10 minutes writing it.

Anonymous (November 24, 2006)

It's not that bad.

Anonymous (November 24, 2006)

valid review of the EP, just wait til the next record.

Anonymous (November 24, 2006)

so how about that racist kramer, eh?

Mute98 (November 24, 2006)

and about the whole "theyre expanding! get over it!" bullshit, im not sayin it has to be ONLY punk.. they have great hiphop and anti- is the perfect label for expanding

but vanna, etf, day of contempt, mcs, matchbook romance, etc are NOT expanding horizons, its jumping on a bandwagon

Mute98 (November 24, 2006)

hahahaha to the post below me

Anonymous (November 24, 2006)

*throws on the new Vanna record*

You all have bad taste.

- Mr. Brett

BrendanKelly (November 24, 2006)

mr brett truly loves money

Dante3000 (November 24, 2006)

It's so strange to me that this label will put out acts like The Draft, The Bouncing Souls, Danger Doom and The Locust and then put out this shit.
Mr. Brett trully loves everything.
-Dante