Wow.

36 Crazyfists
The Tide And Its Takers
Ferret Music

Fitted black t-shirts, angst, pleading vocals, and screaming matches are the perfect makings for a band in the modern hardcore scene. Fortunately, 36 Crazyfists have all these characteristics. Unfortunately, you probably can not differentiate this group from the plethora bands within the burgeoning hardcore scene. Their latest album, The Tide and Its Takers, desperately attempts to deviate from the hardcore format by throwing in a forlorn voice-over (“Only A Year Or So”), and acoustic guitars (“The Tide And Its Takers”). Instead of being sentimental, which was probably the original intent, the two songs come across as confusing. What's worse is that this experimentation, not only fails miserably, it does not keep the album from being extremely monotonous and formulaic. The clichéd hard-rock breakdowns, lifeless riffs, and harsh vocals make this album forgettable, at best.

Grade: F