The Rescue - Phone Numbers

Am I wrong? I thought that I saw these guys play a couple years ago, and I remembered liking them, and somewhere deep in my mind, I compared them to groups like At the Drive-In. Or maybe that was just a band called Rescue? Are they one in the same? I do not know, and I’m lost on that. What I do know is that whichever band has released the Phone Numbers EP is never welcome in my stereo again. These guys from New York claim to have influences ranging from Slayer to Mineral, but they merely come off as another band attempting to ride the coat-tails of groups like Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, and too many others to name. There are whiny vocals displaying the heartbreak and turmoil that tears down the post-adolescent male and wishing the utmost harm against that bearer of pain, with lyrics like “I can’t say that I love you, but I’d love to see you die.” Maybe I’m taking the lyrics completely wrong, but either way, this band lacks originality and fails in trying to mix things up a bit by showing their “tough” side with some metal breakdowns and deep growls that would make Tom Araya ashamed that he could have been the influence for such a thing. Note: If a band has a song called “Hallmark Card for Heartbreak,” you’re better off passing them up. [www.therescue.cjb.net]