Confident, Brutal Tunes
The Blackout Argument's appeal is one that batters your ears in until you submit to the power of their brutal music. Opener 'Regret In Stereo' is too breakneck to really discern the melody for the first few listens; it's mostly drowned under chugging guitars preparing for all-out battle and brawling yelled vocals. 'So Much You And Me' seems to be built up of similar riffs, when you catch a glimpse of them from beneath the shrieks. The blasting metal grind is pretty lethal and likely to terrify the less hardcore half of the planet.
'Maybe Yesteryear' finally gives the chance for a bonafide tune to creep through the grinding noise, and it's a pretty catchy number, with the immediate sound of any decent rock song pepped up with some vicious vocals and blinding guitars. 'The Fastbreak' has enough anger and aggression to deafen the idle listener, while it breaks out into a great coda with double tracked vocals, not screamed but sung, proving that singing can be as powerful as the nu-metal alternative; perhaps if The Blackout Argument had worked this out earlier their songs would be more unique.