Artist: Only Living Witness
Album: Innocents
Release: 1996
Label: Century Media
Tracklist:
1. No Eden
2. Knew Her Gone
3. Deed's Pride
4. Placid Hill
5. Some Will Never Know
6. Strata
7. Freaklaw
8. Hank Crane
9. Downpour
10. Total Particle Reversal
11. War Of The Garagantuas
12. Freaklaw [7" Version]
13. Some Will Never Know [7" Version]
14. Deed's Pride [Demo Version]
15. Knew Her Gone [Demo Version]
16. Total Particle Reversal [Demo Version]
Only Living Witness' final record (they broke up before it was even released) is interesting because among, other reasons, it saw this Massachusetts quartet moving in both modern hardcore and more accessible directions. "No Eden" opens with speedily-strummed acoustic guitar for a few bars before slamming straight into a verse that could instantly cause a venue floor to knocked apart by two-stepping. But then Jonah Jenkins' gritty, melodic voice hits, adding accessibility, but also his own unique sort of power.
As the tracks continue, Innocents remains uniquely OLW, yet sounds brighter in tone than debut LP Prone Mortal Form. Gone are the mysterious, wonderfully wordy lyrics, the chugging, and the few guitar solos. Jenkins opts for minimalistic metaphor and wry wit, scoffing in "Strata" that "When I said I prayed I'd die before you/I meant in front of." Some of the best parts of Prone remain, however, in the shape of pastoral interludes ("Placid Hill," the Alice in Chains-esque "Hank Crane"), and Sabbathian heaviness, which is upgraded to more of a swinging groove on tracks like "Some Will Never Know" and "Freaklaw."
"Downpour" is one of the best examples I can think of when it comes to sound emulating lyrical content. The weather event Jenkins writes of may not be literal ("We're deaf in the middle of a downpour"), but as the guitar riff fades in its steady build beautifully emulates the natural escalation of rain. That the song is one of the best on the record doesn't hurt, either.
Witness still know how to close with a haymaker (see "December" on Prone Mortal Form), and Innocents' is the huge "Total Particle Reversal," wherein everything gets slow, dark, and pained. "We're nothing more than animate flesh," wails Jenkins as the band crashes downward behind him, "We're nothing more than animate."
In closing, I'd like to say that these guys should play live again because I totally missed their 2008 reunion shows in Boston, and that both this and Prone Mortal Form are as good a gym soundtrack as you'll ever find.
Download Here
Buy Here with OLW's first record for MAD CHEAP!
-Asa
Album: Innocents
Release: 1996
Label: Century Media
Tracklist:
1. No Eden
2. Knew Her Gone
3. Deed's Pride
4. Placid Hill
5. Some Will Never Know
6. Strata
7. Freaklaw
8. Hank Crane
9. Downpour
10. Total Particle Reversal
11. War Of The Garagantuas
12. Freaklaw [7" Version]
13. Some Will Never Know [7" Version]
14. Deed's Pride [Demo Version]
15. Knew Her Gone [Demo Version]
16. Total Particle Reversal [Demo Version]
Only Living Witness' final record (they broke up before it was even released) is interesting because among, other reasons, it saw this Massachusetts quartet moving in both modern hardcore and more accessible directions. "No Eden" opens with speedily-strummed acoustic guitar for a few bars before slamming straight into a verse that could instantly cause a venue floor to knocked apart by two-stepping. But then Jonah Jenkins' gritty, melodic voice hits, adding accessibility, but also his own unique sort of power.
As the tracks continue, Innocents remains uniquely OLW, yet sounds brighter in tone than debut LP Prone Mortal Form. Gone are the mysterious, wonderfully wordy lyrics, the chugging, and the few guitar solos. Jenkins opts for minimalistic metaphor and wry wit, scoffing in "Strata" that "When I said I prayed I'd die before you/I meant in front of." Some of the best parts of Prone remain, however, in the shape of pastoral interludes ("Placid Hill," the Alice in Chains-esque "Hank Crane"), and Sabbathian heaviness, which is upgraded to more of a swinging groove on tracks like "Some Will Never Know" and "Freaklaw."
"Downpour" is one of the best examples I can think of when it comes to sound emulating lyrical content. The weather event Jenkins writes of may not be literal ("We're deaf in the middle of a downpour"), but as the guitar riff fades in its steady build beautifully emulates the natural escalation of rain. That the song is one of the best on the record doesn't hurt, either.
Witness still know how to close with a haymaker (see "December" on Prone Mortal Form), and Innocents' is the huge "Total Particle Reversal," wherein everything gets slow, dark, and pained. "We're nothing more than animate flesh," wails Jenkins as the band crashes downward behind him, "We're nothing more than animate."
In closing, I'd like to say that these guys should play live again because I totally missed their 2008 reunion shows in Boston, and that both this and Prone Mortal Form are as good a gym soundtrack as you'll ever find.
Download Here
Buy Here with OLW's first record for MAD CHEAP!
-Asa
11 comments:
Did you post this because I just posted the Formicide demo? Don't lie!
I wouldn't speak for Asa, but I know that this dude is OBSESSED with OLW.
Also, I tried working out to this band with some people and a minute into the first song on Prone Mortal Form I was asked to turn it off. :(
-Adam
No, but I'm downloading that NOW! Thanks for the tip!
Adam, that's their loss, but y'know...different strokes for different folks and all that jazz.
if you could see their ripped bodies you'd realize it's no loss of theirs.
-Adam
most vanilla series of comments ever
Horrible blog. Just a shallow consumerist thing without the slightest bit of interest for the music, the bands, the times. You really shouldn't do that. It's a waste of others people's talent.
1. You are right, Asa has no interest whatsoever in Jonah Jenkins and every single musical project he's ever done.
2. You posted NOFX on your blog.
-Adam
hi, i am jose uhp from spain and this stupid guy sent me the same stupid message, i like your blog
http://descargandorabia.blogspot.com/
why people try to fuck the work of other people???
he's provided some hilarity, at least.
thanks, your blog seems tight too.
-Adam
I'll admit this review is a tad rushed in regard to how quickly I wrote it, PANKERIJADA, but I assure OLW are one of my most listened-to artists of the past few years. There's an undeniable passion in Jonah's voice and lyrics I can't get enough and the three musicians behind home just ram the feeling home.
If you don't like my review, that's totally cool. But I assure you-- I love both their records like no other.
Jesus fuck does anyone know where i can get a shirt?
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