I have no idea what message Evergreen Terrace think they’re conveying with their new video, “Sending Signals,” the inspiration for which is obviously The Karate Kid. That movie will always hold a sentimental place in my heart, but what does it have to do with anything? The video isn’t a campy-funny homage to an old 80s movie the way, say, The Black Dahlia Murder’s awesome video for “Everything Went Black” is, and it doesn’t seem to be going for a campy-funny tone anyways. But does anyone take The Karate Kid seriously? It’s not exactly a Scorsese movie, and I’d have to question the intelligence/sanity of anyone over the age of eleven who found it inspirational.

So the gist of this video seems to be “If someone kicks your ass, learn to kick their ass back, then do so.” Fair enough, I guess. But the whole thing reeks of Evergreen Terrace trying, and failing, to come across as tough guys. And there’s no reason for that. Metal and hardcore can be an outlet for aggressive emotions, but you don’t actually have to be a violent person to enjoy the music. I’d respect these scrawny, heavily-tattooed dudes more if they admitted to being guys who like heavy music, as opposed to the whole “Arrr, we’re bad-asses” scenario put forth here.

Especially ’cause referencing The Karate Kid does not make you look like a bad-ass.

-AR