Album Review - Black My Heart
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Black My Heart
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Before The Devil
Eulogy Recordings
Release: 9/27/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Michelle Sander
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| Black My Heart is the perfect name for this straightedge hardcore band from Boston. "Why?" you might ask - in the 27 minutes and 12 seconds of their debut album, Before The Devil, there are 29 references to death, bereavement and the like.
Overall, I like this album, but there are so many shortcomings in its nine songs that I'm not quite sure why I like it. Most of the songs are cut into sections, i.e. intro, punk drums break, silence, an obligatory hardcore "oh" by the vocalist and lyricist Wheeler, then bring it back heavy. Not only does this make for a choppy piece, it gets old after the first time. Often when you think a song should be over, they bring the chorus back for another spin and just when you decide it's getting good, the song quickly fades out. Black My Heart accomplished only two-thirds of each song: beginning and middle - no end.
The despondent lyrics are in juxtaposition with the driving percussion and guitar. In fact, the entire album is just long enough to get in a good run. (My left foot hit the ground in-time with the snare drum.) Keith Dece, the drummer, is phenomenal and seems to be the glue that holds any of these songs together.
Some themes that weave through this album are death (as mentioned above), brotherhood (Family means more to us - We give it all to protect the ones we love… These are my friends - I have there [sic] backs - They are the closest thing to blood that I have), and having the "devil" inside. Fans of Bury Your Dead, Throwdown, On Broken Wings (features former members), and Until the End will be inclined to this Beantown quintet.
Standout songs: "Thick as Blood" and "What You Know About?"
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