DAGGERMOUTH “Turf Wars”
Vancouver’s DAGGERMOUTH have been at the near forefront of the LIFETIME/KID DYNAMITE/NEW FOUND GLORY melodicore revival over the past couple of years, and have built a fanbase by sticking to the basics – fun, fast, heartfelt songs, and shows everywhere. DAGGERMOUTH have carpet-bombed North America with live appearances and like their contemporaries in SET YOUR GOALS, have their let their insane enthusiasm do all the talking.
Turf Wars, the band’s second full-length is a sizable step up from the less adventurous Stallone. Although the group sometimes falls prey to too many tempo changes and jerky mannerisms, DAGGERMOUTH’s music embodies the band’s off-the-wall spirit. Crunchy, yet fluid guitars drive Turf Wars, while crisp percussion and short but sweet melodies punctuate the band’s power and hooks. “Frisky Business,” and “Too Late, No Friends,” impress with a form of vocals that comes in somewhere between being straight-up gang vocals and group choral chants. Although DAGGERMOUTH keep traditional songwriting devices on the wayside, Turf Wars is more than a fleeting exercise in ultra-fast music. Even in the 44 second powder-keg “Fact: Mike Peecher Rollerblades,” the group glues together enough layers to make the song feel more comprehensive than it should. Slashing through its eleven songs in a mere 25 minutes, Turf Wars is trimmed of fat but long enough to feel like a real full-length.
DAGGERMOUTH’s weaknesses are few, but somewhat critical. Despite the band’s energetic fury and sharp musicianship, Turf Wars, like the preceding Stallone neglects its own presence. At times, the band’s serious lyrical messages get lost among more hokey passages and the goofy song titles aren’t of much help. It’s difficult to hit a band on account of their own failure to put on a more serious face, but DAGGERMOUTH simply straddle too much line and the end result is subject matter static. The other knock on the band is a bit more obvious – there’s no bass! Music this fast and peppy needs a complimentary talent on bass! Having two full-lengths out is an achievement most hardcore bands never experience, so DAGGERMOUTH have already accomplished a lot, but Turf Wars leaves room for improvement, and that’s perhaps what I’m most excited about.
State of Mind/Smallman
