Thirst Aid Kit...
Here we have a blasting release from Finland with Disco Ensemble's post –hardcore offering of 'First Aid Kit'. Ram packed with fast-paced songs teetering between emo and screamo, it is a slice of what the kids slurp up now in their thousands!
First song 'This Is My Head Exploding' is an angry rant of daily statements like, "This is my head exploding from the weight of the thoughts inside..." With a dash of keyboards and chunky guitar riffs, it sets you up for what you are going to hear for the other eleven songs. 'We Might Fall Apart' is a little of the same whilst 'Human Cannonball' has a little more depth, although the vocals are in a tone that sounds like a cross between David Bowie and Glenn Danzig...
After the initial annoying keyboard tone, there is a nice guitar riff which breaks out into a melodic tingle, whilst a bass line bounces us along with the lyrics, in the catchy song 'Eye Of A Ghost'. The scary electro beginning of 'Black Euro' had me remembering the bonkers band from Sweden, Quit Your Day Job, but thankfully it's not. Maybe it's just that electro-beats have never been my thing, but the song is better when the melody revolves around the guitars! Things slow down on album title track 'First Aid Kit', before 'Fresh New Blood' speed things up again.
There is a nod towards other post-hardcore bands like Please Mr Gravedigger, Story Of The Year, At The Drive In and Refused, on 'So Long, Sisters'. 'You Are The Dawn' thumps along quite nicely as the album bows out with last song, 'Sleep On The Wheel' which is an epic of a song.
Having played in the Eastpak sponsored Antidote tour, Disco Ensemble, are slowing increasing their fan base with a great live show of emotionally and heart-felt performances of real passion. For me 'First Aid Kit' is not one of my favourite albums, but this isn't to say that it is a bad album by any means! There are many strengths to this album which include well produced tracks of good hard rocking quality, however this isn't a genre that gets me particularly excited, although Disco Ensemble have gone some way to make it marginally tolerable.
I think that Disco Ensemble have a future in post-hardcore and they will go from strength to strength, this may not be loved by me, but I bet it will be loved by many others!