Three Reviews: DENNIS IS DEAD, PLACEHOLDER, THE SHEDS

DENNIS IS DEAD – Close To Home (Negative Progression): Negative Progression has had their fair share of heavier releases, but this is the label’s first release that’s all out modern metalcore. Close To Home is a six song debut EP that falls on the rougher side of bands like AUGUST BURNS RED, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and any myriad of Rise Records screamers. That roughness is endearing, and while Close To Home isn’t exactly underproduced, it feels more like an intense live experience than a studio chemistry experiment. Melodic vocals are tastefully held-back, peaking through on just a few occasions (most notably on “The Atlas” and on the fifth track “Foundations”). With some work to cut down on lagging breakdowns and to sharpen up the band’s lyrics, DENNIS IS DEAD can be a band with a very bright future.

PLACEHOLDER – Nothing Is Pure (Better Days): Pennsylvania’s PLACEHOLDER (formerly COASTAL) play uptempo post-hardcore with a hearty punk rock base. Crudely, they remind me of the awkward heartache of BALANCE AND COMPOSURE or the churning up/and/down rhythmic pulsing of SMALL BROWN BIKE . Nothing Is Pure races out of the gate with its title track opener – the band doesn’t have much patience for drifting intros or generally, songs much longer than three minutes, and that kind of propulsive gusto largely remains a constant. “Resent” has the bouncy, hooky quality of a heavy alternative-radio single. They should do all they can to get this song heard far and wide. Nothing Is Pure lacks a wholly unique voice of its own, but it fits in snugly with its contemporaries, and flickers with the talent to shoot past them.

THE SHEDS – Self/Doubt EP (Rite of Passage/Mediaskare): Melodic punk rock/hardcore with a mild ska guitar influence… its GOLDFINGER without the shtick. Is that a good thing? Pros: I love the west coast melodicore musical cues on here, which seem to range from NOFX/LAGWAGON on “Slash & Burn” to THRICE (Identity Crisis era) on the title track. “Counting Sheep” is an all-out hardcore jam that could have found a home on a GOOD RIDDANCE title. Cons: The guitars are deafeningly loud and upfront on the recording, overpowering everything else; also, not even a lick of horns? You tease you…