Wake The Dead - Comeback Kid

...look up to, you just wake up one day and realise there's nothing special about them. Nice short instrumental to open the album up, before kicking into the lyrics, which when the momentum builds up are shot out quickly "All my heroes are dead. We're we too blind to see/ You were only human like me"

My Other Side (2.18) opens straight into the lyrics being screamed down, straight in your face. The track is loud and has a bit ...
...Decent track.

Wake the Dead (3.17) Track that shares the name with the album and I would say the best track on the album too! Starts of with quick drum intro before you get a loud beat, with the guitars, before the vocals scream in round the twenty mark. The guitars aggressivley bang away making an enjoyable song with a shout along chorus "Break the Silence/ WAKE THE DEAD!" The energy put across is just unbelievably amazing ... more

---Intro---
Upon purchase of this album there was a big lime green sticker telling me it was the 'Hardcore album of the Year'. This should be good hopefully…

Comeback Kid is a band from Winnipeg, Canada. Formed in 2002 they started just as a bit of fun. Upon release of an EP, they gained such a good response that they began touring. They released their first album 'Turn it Around' and appeared at shows such as Hellfest and began touring with some bigger named hardcore bands.
They describe themselves as sounding like Good Riddance, Anthrax and Nirvana.
They released their second album 'Wake the Dead' under Victory Records in February 2005, to much anticipation.

---The Band---

Comeback Kid are:
Scott Wade - Vocals
Andrew Neufeld - Guitars, Vocals
Jeremy Hiebert - Guitar
Kyle Profeta - Drums
Kevin Call - Bass

---Track-by-Track---

False Idols Fall (2.38) I really love this opening track as I feel I can relate so well to it. Just about a day when those people (celebrities?) you look up to, you just wake up one day and realise there's nothing special about them. Nice short instrumental to open the album up, before kicking into the lyrics, which when the momentum builds up are shot out quickly "All my heroes are dead. We're we too blind to see/ You were only human like me"

My Other Side (2.18) opens straight into the lyrics being screamed down, straight in your face. The track is loud and has a bit of gang sing-along "What's inside your heart". The guitar rips through when Scott stops for a breather, then sort of build up, into an eruption of noise. Decent track.

Wake the Dead (3.17) Track that shares the name with the album and I would say the best track on the album too! Starts of with quick drum intro before you get a loud beat, with the guitars, before the vocals scream in round the twenty mark. The guitars aggressivley bang away making an enjoyable song with a shout along chorus "Break the Silence/ WAKE THE DEAD!" The energy put across is just unbelievably amazing and just gets you so pumped up. Best track on the album.

The Trouble I Love (1.52) opens up with that metal sound that seemed popular with Nu-metal bands, but fear not the music and lyrics kick in and Scott screams with such intensity "We all die alone! And I'll never forget what killed us"

Talk is Cheap (1.54) guitar is left to ring out and the bass builds up this song. Definitely the most forgettable track on the whole album. I do like the "Keep talking" part of the song though.

Partners in Crime (2.22) the song opens instantly "I did this to myself..." backed by a drum beat, the guitars then join in. A hard-hitting song of friendship that has gradually split up over time as people's lives have changed. Guitars are top notch again tearing through like a metal band.

Our Distance (1.52) is a very short track and no time is wasted with some fancy la-de-da opening build up as the tune is raced through making this the fastest played track on the album (probably). A hardcore split up song "And I want to tell you what you mean to me. But I'll save this. I'll save my breath this time." Despite being quicker the guitars still have riffs as hard as ever. This is definitely one of the best maybe even 2nd best track of the album.

Bright Lights (2.21) the guitars open up this track up with some metal style power chord riffs. The song starts off all negative talking about "Another year wasted/ another chance to live passed us by". Till we get to the song where it changes to a positive message "This life will always be worth living/ From the start of the day/ To the end of the race."

Falling Apart (2.22) Metal style opening, you realise it's not a metal band your listening to though when the lyrics kick as there's no singing and lots of shouting. Bit of a breakdown in this (that means the music slows down)

Losing Patience (2.16) this track takes us through a story of insecurity and doubt. "Will it all work out?" is screamed out. Drumbeat gets a bit annoying on this track - which is a basic 'thud, thud, thud', though the guitars every so often get cranked up which helps drown it out.

Final Goodbye (2.34) closes the album. Slight guitar/drum intro starts it up "This is my final goodbye" is shouted out like an old-school sing-along. This re-occurs throughout the track. Real basic lyrics on this "Lets forget those things we said. I'd rather let this die than bleed." The guitars help this track and I would say the drumming for this song is the best in the whole album. This is a real old-school feel hardcore tune.

Total track length only 25 minutes 49 seconds.

---Artwork and album layout---

The artwork on the album is quite good; it has a ghoulish gravedigger on the front.
In the cover all the song lyrics which is always a good idea to have if your a hardcore band. Then over the page more great artwork with the undead rising, followed by the rest of the lyrics, followed with the details and thanks page then a spooky tree, with a skeleton on the back cover.

---Opinion---

To me this is one of the freshest and cleanest hardcore albums I've heard. (Meaning good production and less tinny sounding like it was recorded in one of the bands garage effect).
Although some of the tracks where a bit of a miss I felt other tracks such as 'False Idols Fall', 'Wake the Dead' and 'Final Goodbye' all more than made up for it.
I think the appeal is that it has all the atmosphere of a hardcore show, without actually being at one.

This album will have you shouting your problems away to the cutting lyrics, dancing away to the drumbeat and guitar tunes (in a violent way of course).
The guitars are definitely the most fantastic things on the album, sometimes carrying tracks that are a bit dire through into an up-tempo, metallic hardcore style tune.
Although I mention screaming a lot, the lyrics are (fairly) understandable and note it is not a growling scream.

The tracks are short and sweet, meaning you don't get bored with tracks that are dragged out and done to death.
Also all the tracks have their own 'unique' feel to them, which might not sound much of an achievement, but for hardcore bands, seems quite rare.

It's also pretty original album, even the lyrics feel pretty new and not clichéd, unlike a lot of other hardcore bands who can bore you to tears with talk of 'Unity', 'Bring about a change' and 'Always be true.'
It's a must for anyone who likes loud punk or metal this album may be to your liking. If you like bands such as The Bronx, or Refused you might want to check them out.

One of the best hardcore bands there is.
Just remember hardcore is an acquired taste.

www.myspace.com/comebackkid

http://www.comeback-kid.com
 

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