|
|||||
|
|||||
|
This is what a band should sound like when they mature. Demonstrating a clear stylistic departure from Whole Life Crisis, The Arsons’ sophomore effort (and Mad At The World debut), Bridges Down, marks a brilliant turning point in the bands’ career. While Whole Life Crisis saw the Arsons attempting to reconcile a myriad of influences, Bridges Down is a powerful testament not only of how The Arsons have shed their skin, but also of how they successfully re-routed their energy into truly making passion and sincerity sounds of their own. Succinctly put, this transition marks a point in the Arsons’ career where they’ve stopped trying to capture a sound, and simply become one.
It’s no secret that bands like this don’t come around very often. A quick throw to the past spotlights the band as a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of New York Punk Rock and Hardcore. Ernie (drums), played in GILLIGAN’S REVENGE, TOKEN ENTRY, BLACK TRAIN JACK, and GREY AREA. Ernie also filled in for a wealth of bands, including the Gorilla Biscuits. Jason (guitar), played in such notable acts as WARZONE and GREY AREA. Marc (voice), played alongside Ernie in JOHN HENRY and IN YOUR FACE. Alex is just now making his mark. While The Arsons descend from an impeccable pedigree inextricably tied to the birth of the New York movement in Hardcore and Punk Rock, Bridges Down slaps its listener with nothing short of a compassionate revolution in punk rock that ensures that The Arsons will never merely be thought of as “ex-members of…” In short, Bridges Down is what Walk Together, Rock Together was to The Crew (7 Seconds), what Social Distortion was to Prison Bound (Social Distortion), and what Hello Bastards was to Background (Lifetime). |
|||||
|
|||||
|
Bridges Down (MP3)
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Review by Jordan A. Baker THE ARSONS is the most current chapter in the highly storied punk/hardcore career of one, Ernie Parada. Mr. Parada, formerly a part of NYHC legends, TOKEN ENTRY; subsequent punk rock heroes, BLACK TRAIN JACK; and late 90s Victory Records' stalwarts, GREY AREA, headed up THE ARSONS as he could no longer keep the musical surge out of his blood much longer. Figuring out the "family tree" of THE ARSONS' collective involvement in music is a difficult task, but the band did all the dirty work, and on its site has a diagram that puts it all into focus. Now that we can set personel issues aside, THE ARSONS are a very pleasant surprise for anyone who was a fan of GREY AREA, and was entirely bummed by that band's early demise. These guys churn out some 15 tracks of speedy, melodic punk rock with a few heavier moments stuffed in. The thick, fluid, racing guitars bring up the best moments of LIFETIME and THE BOUNCING SOULS, and the dual vocals of Marc Adams and Parada fluster with excitement and aggression. Throughout the 35+ minutes, THE ARSONS mix up their songwriting pretty well, even their sound is tethered consistently, from the oozing burn of "The Wreckoning," to the crunchy, head-tapping "Descend." Unsurprisingly, the lyrical content and style of THE ARSONS is very similar to GREY AREA with a strong emphasis on first person questioning. and hindsight storytelling. My favorite tune on here is "Even Ashes," which takes a lot of fun pokes at what NYHC used to represent, some 15-20 years ago - the references to GG Allin, Hare Krishna, and Ray Cappo are fantastic, and a strange reminder of how things have changed. A solid, honest, expressive punk rock release is a rarity to my review stacks these days. Be it emo, metalcore, or some other offshoot genre that's enjoying its days in the sun right now, for those few bands that still yearn for what was once so much more than haircuts and heartbreak, it must take a lot of resolve to remain focused and not bitter. "Bridges Down" is a great listen, and with any shred of luck, will be an inspiration for others to look into the deep histories of TOKEN ENTRY, BLACK TRAIN JACK, and GREY AREA. by Chaz_Murphy; 07.20.04 This is a great poppy punk album. It will probably end up in my top 15 albums of the year. This is flat out a great time for just about anyone who is a fan of hardest hardcore to the little hot topic wanna be punks. You will be singing along in no time and not you aren't you will be nodding your head and tapping your feet. Get into it. From: www.decapolis.com Bridges Down Step into the fire... Bridges Down, marks the second release from the New York supergroup, The Arsons. Members’ past bands read like a “Who’s Who” of Empire State punk. If you think I’m bullshitting, then check it out for yourself at the link below: http://www.thearsons.com/diagram.html The guitars are less jagged and the tone slightly more relaxed this time around than they were on the band’s debut, Whole Life Crisis. Purists don’t cry foul, they still bring the essence and nastiness of a Black Flag, but this time they bring a much more ear friendly brand of music. They show, dare I say it...range. A perfect example of this is the transition from the metal tinged, guitar abusing cut (“Hugger Orange”), to a track (“The Substance”) with a working-class hook and vocal harmony that sounds similar to something you would find on a Street Dogs album. Bridges Down does well in keeping itself modern enough to appeal to today’s new breed of punk, while staying true to the roots of the NY scene. Call it emotional hardcore, call it punk, just don’t call it emo. Recommended if you like: Bouncing Souls, Street Dogs, Black Flag, At a Loss Rating: 8/10 From: www.upbeetmusic.com |
|||||
|
|||||
The revitalized sound embodied on Bridges Down reflects the uncompromising spirit of the Arsons. Shortly after the release of Whole Life Crisis, The Arsons were faced with the departure of original drummer Vinnie Value (WARZONE, NO REDEEMING SOCIAL VALUE, GREY AREA, KILL YOUR IDOLS). In addition, then guitarist Ernie Parada suffered a major leg injury, and the future of the Arsons was uncertain. Unable to find a suitable drummer, but unwilling to give up a show with good friends The Bouncing Souls, Ernie found himself trading in his guitar for a set of drums, and there he stayed. For the first time since his days in Token Entry, Bridges Down features Ernie banging the drums. This however, left the band in need of a guitar player, and Jason, whom Ernie played with in GREY AREA, was recruited to permanently solidify the lineup. With all gears in motion, armed with a tighter sound, the band was once again whole, and set out to write and record Bridges Down. In a sense, the Arsons were reborn, and their unbridled charisma now proves to fill the void in the scene left by the dissolution of acts such as Kid Dynamite. 
