As Cities Burn - Son I Loved You At Your Darkest

Before I even talk about this album, I’m just going to lay it out – As Cities Burn consistently puts on some of the best live shows that I have ever been to. It's energy and passion. I’ve seen them play shows to crowds there to see them or near empty rooms semi-interested in the headliners. Doesn’t really matter; there are just as many windmills, and guitar throws, and…well, just everything that makes seeing hardcore enjoyable (or post-hardcore, or whatever the hell-core is the genre d’etre). So now that I have that off my chest, it’s rare that I really get excited about really heavy music. The common threads between the maybe 7 albums I have like this are truly passionate lyrics. T.J. Bonnette isn’t Yeats or anything, but like their live performance, you know exactly where this guy’s heart is. And don’t think that because I’m talking about a Solidstate band with passionate lyrics that every song could be in the worship set at the First Christian Church of Hardcore. There are times when the lyrics are openly concerning his personal faith, but it’s not just about that. More of the album really concerns itself with struggle, with relationships, with missing fathers, with yourself. My issue with a lot of hardcore is the constant theme of “Life is Hard… and so is my music.” I can’t be just angry all the time. Cody Bonnette has some great, very fluid guitar work. Rhythm section is always tight. The singing vocals are a little weak, but it’s the screaming that we all came for anyway, am I right? It’s just a solid debut record. [www.ascitiesburn.com]