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| Rx BanditsMandala2009 Sargent House 
 Review by: Brian See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on October 16th 2009
The progression Rx Bandits have gone through leading to their sixth full-length, Mandala, has been so intricate and progressive-rock-based that it's basically a far, far fetch to maintain that the band plays ska-punk of any variety now. The band has entirely dismissed their ever-dwindling brass section, and there is nary an upstroke to be found on the album. But that cannot be a valid criticism of Mandala. What could be a criticism is that it's unfortunately vacant of the powerful dynamism and smart hooks that have littered the band's last few albums. While Mandala bears enough nuances and jarring direction changes to warrant interest, it does seem to lean on the oodles and noodles of prog-nodding riffs as more of a crutch and less a complement, and when it doesn't, the band's bite and bark seem weakened.
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Agree to Disagree Brian. give it up with the entire "this record must have gone over your head" rx fell short believe it. it happend. ive stood by them since the start and well honestly this record is just lacking something. the songs are decent but just missing that special something. ATBB is fucking stellar this not so much This album is awesome, RX just keep getting better. Looking forward to seeing them live at Soundwave next year. Good times. I just want to know one thing 'yall... ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!?!?!?! OOO-OOO-OO!!!" I agree with SydBarret420, actually. i can't even score this yet because it continues to get better with each listen. too soon to say- but i love it. I love how YES it is, and i think you dudes are too quick to judge an album that went over your heads! rx will never let us down- and their real fans don't wanna hear the resignation over and over anyway. talented fuckin dudes Album of the year so far for me. STOP comparing The Resignation with this ! not to nitpick the review, but there are upstrokes on the first song. Pretty good album..not as good as ATBB. Review is pretty good but man...there are some KILLER songs/moments on this CD and you didn't give ups to any of them! Lonesome Only Friend, Mientras, Operation, Bring Our Children Home.. this band is so 2001 and i never even heard them but i remember seeing kids wearing their shirts This band was at their best when they combined groovy ska and reggae with hook-heavy pop-punk and a healthy exploration of form. Progress and The Resignation each offered two different blends, with the prog elements being absent before them and the enjoyable music being mostly absent after. It's a shame they decided to keep going down this road. Everyone on this sight is fucking retarded "The March of the Caterpillar" and "It's Only Another Parsec..." are incredible songs, but the rest of this album just doesn't hang on with me. Maybe it's because I miss the brass. As a whole, it just doesn't do it for me like Progress or The Resignation, or even And The Battle Begun. I don't know how anyone can say with a straight face that Resignation and Progress are better albums than ATBB or Mandala. The Resignation will always be the best album. And The Battle Begun a close second. Great review, my sentiments exactly. I don't think it's anywhere near And The Battle Begun - which I think is their best and simply a fantastic record - and sometimes the noodling and whatnot gets on my nerves. Still, there are some pretty amazing moments on this disc, especially Bring Our Children Home. This is a really good album, that could have been great if they still had the horn section. They gave the albums that little bit of diversity to stay exciting and fresh the whole way through. There are some low points on the album with too much whailing on the guitars (Hearts The Hanker, Breakfast Cat) that make it sound a bit samey. I used to think this band was quite innovative and stood out far from the bullshit it spawned from ala-Drive-Thru Records, but showed alot of potential with strange and compelling arrangements to the songs, especially with the horns. I want to start by saying that "The Resignation" is one of my all-time favorite cds. In my opinion it's a 10/10, 5 star cd. Thus, the respect I have for this band really is beyond words. it took me ages to get into it, but this album really rewards repeated listens. "mientras la veo sonar" "lonesome only friend" "bury it down low" "breakfast cat" "bled to be free" and "bring our children home..." are some of the best they've done IMO. I don't get the hate for this album. i think it's pretty sweet and fun to listen to. and the "Hope is a Butterfly....." jam is one of my favorites of the year I was able to get behind the last one, though my love for RxB started dying after Progress. This one, I just can't do it. The loss of horns (one horn) didn't help.... I feel like i get made fun of for not liking this album, but just because they try so hard to be complex, spacey, and unique, doesnt make the songs automatically listenable. I had such a hard time finishing each song because I knew these songs weren't going anywhere, I can't find any song to really sing along too, and I know that my love for RX Bandits has dwindled to nothing. It's just not good. Vomit Ass-Water = Mandala can't get into this album at all and I agree with the review whole-heartedly. are you kidding me>? you are obviusoylt a fuckin retard this is by FAR their best album also their mist accessible . this is THE BET ALGUM of 2009 if you got any taste then as they say in india GET IN INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Agree with the score, but man there are some serious stand out jams on here. I think the first song on this album is one of the best songs ever written, pity the rest of the album doesn't live up to it! one of your best reviews recently. good job. and I'm really sad, because "progress" and "the resignation" were awesome and everything after that isn't =(. I think is their best album yet. They've taken everything that was great about And the Battle Began and gone one step further with it. This is one of my favorites from 2009. couldn't disagree with you more, my friend. one of my favorites of the year. |
