This is a Movement
The Destruction of Yourself and the World Around You
2012
Thank God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha and the Cosmic Salamander for Twitter...and I never in a million years thought I’d be saying that. To the jaded and cynical, like yours truly here, Twitter can appear to be awash with tedious tweets, sub-par dubstep acts and porn bots. For the most part that is very true and it can often be a daunting prospect to sort through the miasma in search of anything worthwhile. Then once in a great while something comes along out of the blue and truly blows your mind, restoring your oft beleaguered faith in the human race. This is a Movement is that special something. The progressive-punk collective from Providence Rhode Island are the kind of band that make music sound new and exciting again. I try to avoid the process of comparing bands to their contemporaries because it often sounds like lazy journalistic shorthand and the kind of counter-intuitive nonsense that turns those in the know away from music journalism all together. I only do so here for the purposes of trying to understand and piece together exactly what I’m dealing with when I listen to this band. Imagine the melodies and metallic crunch of Propagandhi mixed in with the speed and technical prowess of A Wilhelm Scream, sprinkled with the epic ambient soundscapes of Minus The Bear and finished off with a Hot Water music level of honesty and you’ve only really scratched the surface. Put simply This is a Movement is not afraid to go epic but also do a wonderful job of anchoring their sound in reality by utilizing grittiness found in the best punk rock. Dive in friends and enjoy the ride;
1) Party in the Back: The E.P. begins with a few chords that are underscored by ominous
rolling drums. The guitar steadily builds before the band fully coalesces behind a choppy yet weighty riff. The singer’s gravelly yet melodic vocals strain at the sinews and call to mind the gruff tones of Chuck Reagan and Leatherface. The music assends and reaches its zenith in the chorus which contains rousing gang vocals and perfectly executed harmonies, making the bands lyrics about Armageddon seem more like a call to arms than a chilling lament. The song then
descends into a glorious cacophony of noise that sends the listener into a tailspin. Freeform, jazz drumming is overlaid with a wall of guitar noise that creates a fantastically chaotic effect. The band then picks up the batton once more and launches headlong into another chorus. The musicianship is top notch and the drumming is often out of this world. A barnstorming start to the E.P. that is sure to have fans gasping for more.
2) 2012: The song begins with an ethereal and atmospheric guitar riff that reaches truly
stratospheric levels before the listener is brought crashing down to earth by a maelstrom of fast and furious punk rhythms and more pounding drum work. If there is one thing to be said for the singer it is that his conviction is beyond question. He sings his lyrics with such force, urgency and honest heart that one imagines him screaming his soul into the mic as he does so. His voice is a
perfect combination of gravel and melody and it is on songs like these, where he is giving it his all, that his impressive vocal range comes to the fore. A singalong refrain of “The sky, the sky is falling down” make it the perfect soundtrack to the inevitable and imminent ending of the world.
3) Meth Mouth: This Is a Movement utilize the introductory part of the song to channel their inner “Minus the Bear.” They succeed in creating an epic ambient soundscape that is both ominous and inviting. The band spring forth out the darkness after a clatter of symbols and launch into another magnificent sonic assault. The band combines the technical prowess and guitar wizadry of
metal with the speed and relentless drive of punk to dazzling effect. There is often so much going on in the music that it may take a couple of listens to fully digest what is at work and that’s what makes it so addictive. A bit like Meth then...I assume.
4) Sleep Well: A nice change of pace from the band who slow things down a bit on this one and take a more considered approach. The song contains a simple, choppy riff that underscores a majority of the song. Lines are traded off in a call and response fashion and the vocals run the gamut from melodic croon to gutsy wail. Guitars create a wall of noise which has the effect of showcasing the bass in all its glory. This song shows a willingness to experiment that is seldom seen in punk music. An intriguing song from an intriguing band.
5) Night of the Living Fred: A full 40+ seconds of introduction shows that this is a band not afraid
to take its time over things if they feel it pertains to the mood of the song. The composition soon morphs into another fantastic rock stomper with perfect opportunities for mass sing alongs, especially during to the call and response sections of the chorus. A crazy guitar noodling section, complete with screeches and all, throws the singer a curveball before a rousing final chorus. I really can’t say enough positive things about this band. Truly stunning!
Verdict: This is an absolutely stunning E.P. filled with moments of musical mastery, raw honesty and a bold flirtation with all things epic. This is a Movement’s sound is a heady amalgamation of the fantastical and the real, oozing with emotion and delivered with fantastic zeal and gusto. You can hear a veritable cornucopia of different influences contained within the songs but what comes out of this cocktail is something fresh and exciting. Honestly, they could hire a tribe of Tibetan monks to chant along with them on their next release and I would eat it up...and, strangely, it would still kind of make sense. The band have crafted out a sound that will allow them free reign with whatever they decide to release next which, in my opinion, is the way music should be played. This is the first essential purchase of 2012 and a truly fantastic E.P. A full length can’t come soon enough! Essential!
Score:
10/10
For Fans of: Propagandhi, A Wilhelm Scream, Strung Out, Minus The Bear
Daniel Hall a.k.a BadIdeaDan for mlm
1) Party in the Back: The E.P. begins with a few chords that are underscored by ominous
rolling drums. The guitar steadily builds before the band fully coalesces behind a choppy yet weighty riff. The singer’s gravelly yet melodic vocals strain at the sinews and call to mind the gruff tones of Chuck Reagan and Leatherface. The music assends and reaches its zenith in the chorus which contains rousing gang vocals and perfectly executed harmonies, making the bands lyrics about Armageddon seem more like a call to arms than a chilling lament. The song then
descends into a glorious cacophony of noise that sends the listener into a tailspin. Freeform, jazz drumming is overlaid with a wall of guitar noise that creates a fantastically chaotic effect. The band then picks up the batton once more and launches headlong into another chorus. The musicianship is top notch and the drumming is often out of this world. A barnstorming start to the E.P. that is sure to have fans gasping for more.
2) 2012: The song begins with an ethereal and atmospheric guitar riff that reaches truly
stratospheric levels before the listener is brought crashing down to earth by a maelstrom of fast and furious punk rhythms and more pounding drum work. If there is one thing to be said for the singer it is that his conviction is beyond question. He sings his lyrics with such force, urgency and honest heart that one imagines him screaming his soul into the mic as he does so. His voice is a
perfect combination of gravel and melody and it is on songs like these, where he is giving it his all, that his impressive vocal range comes to the fore. A singalong refrain of “The sky, the sky is falling down” make it the perfect soundtrack to the inevitable and imminent ending of the world.
3) Meth Mouth: This Is a Movement utilize the introductory part of the song to channel their inner “Minus the Bear.” They succeed in creating an epic ambient soundscape that is both ominous and inviting. The band spring forth out the darkness after a clatter of symbols and launch into another magnificent sonic assault. The band combines the technical prowess and guitar wizadry of
metal with the speed and relentless drive of punk to dazzling effect. There is often so much going on in the music that it may take a couple of listens to fully digest what is at work and that’s what makes it so addictive. A bit like Meth then...I assume.
4) Sleep Well: A nice change of pace from the band who slow things down a bit on this one and take a more considered approach. The song contains a simple, choppy riff that underscores a majority of the song. Lines are traded off in a call and response fashion and the vocals run the gamut from melodic croon to gutsy wail. Guitars create a wall of noise which has the effect of showcasing the bass in all its glory. This song shows a willingness to experiment that is seldom seen in punk music. An intriguing song from an intriguing band.
5) Night of the Living Fred: A full 40+ seconds of introduction shows that this is a band not afraid
to take its time over things if they feel it pertains to the mood of the song. The composition soon morphs into another fantastic rock stomper with perfect opportunities for mass sing alongs, especially during to the call and response sections of the chorus. A crazy guitar noodling section, complete with screeches and all, throws the singer a curveball before a rousing final chorus. I really can’t say enough positive things about this band. Truly stunning!
Verdict: This is an absolutely stunning E.P. filled with moments of musical mastery, raw honesty and a bold flirtation with all things epic. This is a Movement’s sound is a heady amalgamation of the fantastical and the real, oozing with emotion and delivered with fantastic zeal and gusto. You can hear a veritable cornucopia of different influences contained within the songs but what comes out of this cocktail is something fresh and exciting. Honestly, they could hire a tribe of Tibetan monks to chant along with them on their next release and I would eat it up...and, strangely, it would still kind of make sense. The band have crafted out a sound that will allow them free reign with whatever they decide to release next which, in my opinion, is the way music should be played. This is the first essential purchase of 2012 and a truly fantastic E.P. A full length can’t come soon enough! Essential!
Score:
10/10
For Fans of: Propagandhi, A Wilhelm Scream, Strung Out, Minus The Bear
Daniel Hall a.k.a BadIdeaDan for mlm