Release Date: May 18, 2004
Reviewed by Sonya Sutherland
The music industry is just that, an industry. It’s a product maker, a moneymaker, and if you aren’t making money then there’s no time for you. Add Amen to the list of casualties. Casey Chaos is amazing and we’ll leave it at that. It is very refreshing to hear a record that doesn’t rely on modern technology to make it listenable. Cacophonous at times, Death Before Musick, is one part harmony and two parts anger. And who wouldn’t be pissed off after being subject to the politics of music- where bands like the now defunct N’Sync sells more disc’s than the people actually making music. There is a long story behind the rise and fall and rise again of the re-assembled band Amen but this is a cd review not a history lesson.
Look at the song tittles (California is Bleeding, Money Infection, The Abolishment of Luxury) and you get a good idea what this cd is about. Chaos recorded most of this record himself and it came out great. Closer to what a band sounds like live, Death Before Musick really allows Chaos’ talent to shine threw. The guys got a very dynamic, gritty voice that works perfectly with the tone of this record. The guitars provide more than simple mindless riffs and the lyrics are actually intelligent and thought provoking. Surely that is expected from a punk album, but punk today means eyeliner and a Hot Topic credit card. The drums sound live rather than simply played along to a machine. Every tune is catchy but not in that get this out of my head type way (like the revitalization of bad 80s pop songs).
Basically, with out expounding on structure and boring you to death, this cd is great. Go out and actually buy it. Its worth the money and showing THE MAN that you want more than just pre-packaged over-processed shit that they like to pass off as music.
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