MADINA LAKE
"From Us, Through Them, To You"
(Roadrunner; 2007)
Reviewed by Mike SOS
Madina Lake may share the same look and sound as the dozens of other post-hardcore hopefuls out there seeking stardom, but this Chicago quartet is head and shoulders above the rest in so many ways.
For starters, the Leone twins (Matt and Nathan, who only slightly resemble Nelson), and their go-getter attitude found them on a special "Fear Factor" television show to help pay for their demo. How's that for work ethic? From there, they've concocted an entire concept of their band set with a Twin Peaks-esque motif based around a sleepy mountain town, a disappearing young lady, and the fallout from it all, set to a intense guitar meets hook-happy chorus 13-track collection of tunes that bring to mind The Used and My Chemical Romance.
Songs like "Here I Stand" and "House of Cards" scream for MTV heavy rotation, "River People" demonstrates the act's ambient side a la Evanescence, while "Morning Sadness" radiates the melancholic sway capable of a massive cell-phone glow when played in a live setting.
Madina Lake's unabashed creativity and melodic post hardcore sound make a bold run for the brass ring, as fans of Taking Back Sunday, Panic at the Disco, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus would be most likely to take notice and dig the world showcased on "From Them, Through Us, To You."
For more information, check out http://www.madinalake.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 11:16:03 -0500.
