FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW “Not One Word Has Been Omitted”
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME are finding themselves with some stiff competition lately in the realm of “accessible tech-metal.” I don’t mean “accessible” in the commercial radio sense, but more like, one can listen to a band in this style without suffering a brain hemorrhage. FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW are highly impressive throughout the five songs that make-up this 32 minute release. With a bombastic, but delightfully smooth sound, “Not One Word Has Been Omitted,” contains none of the over-the-top ‘cat in a blender’ trappings that less talented bands enlist. The dual guitar work on here is truly riveting, as the band mostly sticks to thick, churning soundscapes and hefty chugging. And even when the guitars do breakout into blitzes of head-splitting madness, the rest of the band’s rhythm section is there to keep everything tidy and focused. Not surprising, double-bass is featured all over this disc, but it’s hardly overwhelming in the context of the band’s punctual songwriting. The only weak spot that I perceive with FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW is that the band’s screaming/growling/teething vocals remain on the generic side of the table, but they certainly do not impair the listening experience. In terms the recording quality – “Not One Word Has Been Omitted,” sounds refreshingly earnest and reminds me much of what hardcore/metal bands sounded like before they recorded releases that sound like they cost a million bucks to make (i.e. THE AGONY SCENE). I wasn’t too keen on the first few releases from Black Market Activities, but FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW should definitely help put this young label onto the map.
Black Market Activities
