Reviewed by:
VeloriumCamper, on june 15, 2006
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Sound: Casey Jones, a Straight Edge Hardcore band, hailing from Jacksonville, FL have been creating a buzz around the hardcore scene for quite some time now. Following the release of their 2003 full length "The Few, The Proud, The Crucial" they were picked up by Eulogy Records, and were set to put out their first full length release there, entitled "The Messenger". Now sharing the stage with other recently buzzworthy bands like Set Your Goals, and The Warriors, Casey Jones were ready to start something special. Starting as a side project of Josh James from Evergreen Terrace, Casey jones suddenly became a full touring band, and were ready to leave their mark on the hardcore scene. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Casey Jones, a Straight Edge Hardcore band, hailing from Jacksonville, FL have been creating a buzz around the hardcore scene for quite some time now. Following the release of their 2003 full length "The Few, The Proud, The Crucial" they were picked up by Eulogy Records, and were set to put out their first full length release there, entitled "The Messenger". Now sharing the stage with other recently buzzworthy bands like Set Your Goals, and The Warriors, Casey Jones were ready to start something special. Starting as a side project of Josh James from Evergreen Terrace, Casey jones suddenly became a full touring band, and were ready to leave their mark on the hardcore scene.
Through and through, "The Messenger" is a hardcore punk album, mixing simple and intense guitar lines with lead vocals of the scream/yelling type. Casey Jones supplies a driving force of intensity not to be reckoned with while The album starts off with "1 Out Of 3 Has A STD", a song that showcases their intensity with hard guitar riffs and gang vocals. Chants of "You're the dead!" supported a breakdown type instrumental once again proves my thesis.
The tracks "The Sober," "1 Out Of 3 Has A STD" and "No Donnie, These Men Are Straight Edge" all showcase Casey Jones' straight edge lifestlye and feature lyrics that support it. "Any Port In The Storm", the sixth track on the album, fetures singing and a more melodic side of Casey Jones that you haven't seen much of in their previous efforts. The guitar lines in some tracks are a bit more catchy and infectious than their previous work and you can definitely see a difference between releases.
I have a few bad things to say about this album but not much. One of my complaints is how straight edge Casey Jones is. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the lifestyle or the people associated with straight edge but the topic often takes away from the diversity and creativity of the lyrics and doesn't do anything for me. Bands like Bane, and Comeback Kid provide excellent hardcore lyrics with at least some creativity and though, and Casey Jones just doesn't do that for me. Also, tracks 9-12 on the album lose my attention often, and I find it hard to keep the album on without skipping the end. Also, I would've liked the album to be a bit more creative than it is. I understand that is a hardcore punk album, but with the recent signing from Eulogy Records, I thought that this album would bring something to the table that I find is missing. Finally, if you are not into straight edge hardcore bands, do not buy this album. // 7
Impression: All in all though, "The Messenger" is a great hardcore punk album, and should fit into your hardcore album collection perfectly. I wouldn't stack this album up with the great ones, but it is definitely worth a listen from any die-hard Hardcore fan. "The Messenger" will for sure be in my summer rotation this year although I don't know how much I'll be listening to it with all of the other great releases this year. To put an interesting twist on the end of this review, I'll say this, if you are debating between getting Casey Jones' - "The Messenger" and their neighbor on Eulogy, Set Your Goals' new album "Mutiny!" I would pick up Set Your Goals, but would consider grabbing Casey Jones along with it. // 8
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