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36 PRETTYGOODFISTS

 Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 1:30pm by

36 crazyfists - collisions and castaways

In May I wrote an editorial in which I wondered aloud (as I so often do) what would become of 36 Crazyfists, a band whose record label dynamics had suddenly and drastically changed after its founders jumped ship and gave up their stake in Ferret to Warner Music Group’s ILG (Independent Label Group).

Well, those questions remain; only time will answer them.* But at least on the part of the music, 36 Crazyfists have taken me by surprise by writing a pretty darn decent album.

I really was not expecting this; I’d never been into the band except for the song “The All Night Lights” and couldn’t find much that separated them from so many other 2nd wave metalcore bands. “Serviceable but unspectacular metalcore” would’ve been my assessment, but their new album Collisions & Castaways — which comes out tomorrow — changes all that. 36CF haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel and they still indulge in certain tried-and-true metalcore techniques (for better or worse), but they’ve also really stepped up their game. The songwriting is more concise, the band takes more musical chances, the playing is tighter and crisper, the production better… it’s as if the band turned up a knob for every element of themselves by 1. And of course on top of it all there’s vocalist Brock Lindow, whose slippery, wavering voice is the most unique weapon this band has.

Take a gander at the entirety of Collisions & Castaways over at TuneLab, which is streaming the whole album for a limited time. Album-opener “In the Midnights,” with its undulating, off-time riffs, is my favorite track, and it’s definitely a little different than what I think you’d expect from this band. Again, it’s not like the band has undergone a tremendous transformation or anything, but they’ve definitely improved by noticeable measures. Let’s call it a happy little surprise.

-VN

*Full disclosure: ILG has purchased ads on MetalSucks to promote this record. Despite what the Internet trolls will inevitably say (and in seeming ignorance of the tons of bands we mercilessly trash whose labels buy ads with us too) this in no way affects our coverage/opinion of the band’s music.

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  • Matt

    I agree. The record is actually pretty good.

  • M.

    While I love the record, “A Snow Capped Romance” and “Rest Inside the Flames” are still their best albums and are some of the better generic metalcore albums out there.

  • Kye

    Always been really into these guys. I’m glad this record doesn’t do anything to change that.

  • KC

    “The All Night Lights” is seriously one of their worst songs. Its so repetitive. Check out the album Rest Inside the Flames. Pretty much everything on the first half of that album blows All Night Lights out of the water in my opinion. Collisions and Castaways is really good. Its quickly becoming one of my faves of theirs. Still think A Snow Capped Romance is better though. I still pop in that album every so often and I always find myself enjoying it.

  • DemonicLemming

    This band actually does a pretty respectable job with metalcore – probably because they don’t use the wrinkled-up whore of squeaky-mirror clean good cop/Chaos-possessed manbearpig bad cop vocals that seemingly every other metalcore band feels obliged to chain themselves to.

    A Snow-Capped Romance and Bitterness the Star go beyond tolerable into “Actually pretty good” territory.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nick-Carosello/1360764011 Nick Carosello

    very solid record from a solid metalcore band. I have pretty much dug every album by them. Not a superfan or anything but they always deliver. pretty freaking good live to.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Punch-McChainsaw/100000274695976 Punch McChainsaw

    I don’t see where they’re getting the “Metalcore” tag from. Is it just to get away from the stigma of being called a “nu-metal” band?

    • DemonicLemming

      Metalcore seems to be the new version of nu-metal – a catch-all for bands that sound absolutely nothing like one another, but don’t really fit in any other genre. Case in point: both Limp Bizkit and Static-X are considered nu-metal while sounding nothing alike; 36crazyfists and All That Remains sound nothing alike, and are both considered nu-metal. Granted, overspecialization leads to bullshit terms like “Nintendocore” and “blackened crust doom metal” or any of the other overflowing buckets of asinine subgenres.

  • Jack

    Man, that was awful.

  • Anthony

    I like this band and album too, but the only albums of there’s i’ve heard in entirety are this new one and the tide and its takers, with a few random songs from previous releases. My favourite song from them is still The Heart and the shape

  • Slaughterhouse

    I tried again, for the 5th time, and I still don’t get whats everyones appeal in them. But to each their own

  • http://www.myspace.com/msrp Nic Heidt

    I’ve just always dug Borck’s voice from the first time I heard the “turns to ashes” demo on the Roadrunner site years ago. I really think Brock and Pete Murray from Ultraspank/Lo-pro are the 2 most underappreciated vocalists of all time.

    • M.

      “all time” is pushing it a little lol. they are good vocalists, but not like in the ranks of Mike Patton.

      • JimmyBagODonuts

        but mike patton is no way underappreciated…

  • mike

    Bitterness the Star is in my opinion one of the few shining lights from the nu-metal scene…it had the typical chuggy downtuned guitars and pissed off shouted vocals, but wasn’t as “nu-metal” sounding as some other bands from the early 2000′s. A Snow Capped Romance was awesome, completely shed the nu-metal tag and the rest of their output since has been very solid…however I don’t think metalcore describes them at all. More a metallic post-hardcore band.

  • RayRay

    “Snow Capped Romance” is the only cd I have in my car right now because I cannot stop listening to it. There is something about these guys that I really like. Yea granted they might be the most talented band on Earth or be breaking down musical barriers but they write catchy riffs and Brock has such a unique voice that it really sets them apart from other bands.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Troy-Rickard/1516566408 Troy Rickard

    A Snow Capped Romance is an awesome album. Of all their works, and I’m also referring to The Boss Buckle E.P and Suffer Tree, The Tide And It’s Takers was the only release from them I don’t like, I still couldn’t make myself listen to it right through, it just didn’t feel like them. So I’m hoping from reading this review that I won’t be disappointed from this release as their first two full lengths were wicked as fuck.
    I hope they get to make a music video for once where the screaming parts aren’t taken out and replaced by singing – not that I mind, I think Brock is a very underrated vocalist and I like his voice, but the whole editing a song for radio is pretty bullshit, especially when 36 aren’t totally brutal to begin with.

  • jonowev

    They’re not second wave metalcore, they’ve been around since 1994!!!