Band: Curse the Mariner
Album: The Scourge EP
Genre: Rock/Hardcore
Label: Unsigned
Tracks:
1. Clearing
2. One Night Standing Strong
3. We Own The Floor
4. 7305
5. A Dance With Jack Ketch
Rarely does an email out of the blue wind up being worth anything. Usually it's junk or some false advertising trying to convince you to buy something or buy into something you know you can do without. However, a random email from the management behind Curse The Mariner, may be the best random message I could have asked to find in my email. These Queensbury, NY rockers have been blazing a trail of rock and roll ever since they formed in May 2007. I know it seems weird to speak so highly of such a young band, but if, "The Scourge [ep]," is any sign of what this band is capable of, then we best prepare ourselves for the future.
Scourge would serve as a great introduction to any band on the rise. It's rough, with less than stellar production, but something within the sound speaks through the noise and tells you that there's a reason to listen. "Clearing," opens the album softly, like a calm before the storm, that is, until the band comes in with vocalist, Kevin Miner leading the way. His scream is strong without the throaty sounds that seem to plague the scene as of late. The band is also comprised of great guitar work, solid bass lines, masterful drums, and back up vocalists who sing and add their own screams. Now, I know it's cliche to to do the whole scream/sing thing these days, but I didn't really get that, "I've heard this," before feeling like most of the recent "scene" stars have given me. There's something fresh in the almost classic rock sounding guitar solos and new age angst that defines the sound of Curse The Mariner. After the opener, we encounter one example of what I think falters the band. "One Night Standing Strong," as well as the closer, "A Dance With Jack Ketch," seem overly long. I don't have anything against a band hitting the 5 minute mark in their songs, but there's a very apparent challenge to keep the music fresh for that long and it's something Curse needs to work a little harder on. "We Own The Floor," the third track, is the best showcase for what Curse The Mariner Can Do." these types of bands don't have singles per say, but if they did, this is that song. From the, "Whoa-ohs," that bring us into the song, to the tight musicianship, the song is just perfect. After that, there's, "7-3-05," a solid rock, but nothing to spectacular and then the closer, "A Dance With Jack Ketch." The band has a violin heavily used near the end of this closer, and I don't want to give too much away, but for ending with a breakdown of sorts, this band does it like no other in a long time.
Curse the Mariner is not the freshest sound in music today. The are however, a group of guys on the rise who have taken the common scream/sing area of hardcore and make it their own. Through more experience and hard work, I have no doubt they can be something that will be blowing up on your Myspace and in your local venues in no time at all.
GRADE: 7/10
For More Info: Myspace
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