I wasn't lying. I said last night that I would review this cd today. That's what I'm doing now. Get psyched! Overdose doing it big time.



This album immediately reminded me of No Warning (not suffer/survive, you jackass). I felt like Ben Cook was going to mosh out of my cd player. He didn't of course. He's busy rocking out with his new band, Surplus Sons. Which thankfully, Overdose doesn't sound anything like.

I noticed that Overdose is from Kennesaw. Many years ago, sometime in the early 90s, I visited Kennesaw because my aunt and uncle lived there. It was a giant cookie cutter, gated development. Pretty swank, really.

Here are some funny Kennesaw facts:

1. A law was put on the books in the 80s forcing every head of household to own a gun and ammunition. Yeap, it was a law. You HAD to own a gun AND ammunition. It was later amended.
2. No one was ever charged with violating the above law.
3. Downtown had a Civil War museum which featured a locomotive and a informational video. It was super southern pridey. It was called the Big Shanty Museum. It's had a name change since then. At the time, my northern, yankee ass was creeped out by it. "YOU LOST. GET OVER IT." Now, I can see the benefit of providing an unbiased account of The General (the locomotive).
4. The store across the street from the museum was full of some full on SHADY SHIT. Holy shit, so shady. I wonder if it's still there?

Now, that is neither here nor there. Overdose is good. No Warning was good. Overdose loves No Warning. Why shouldn't they? Check em out.

Between The Wars is a project from some familiar faces. You may recall Tim Shaw from Ensign (holy crap, what about those first Ensign EPs? You're moshing). Paul from Endgame, Bill Henderson from xOne Wayx, ... Good times. Not exactly a new project. I swore I reviewed their first album, but I can't find my review of it anywhere. I suck.



This album bleeds between hardcore and metal. Plenty of guitar leads and hard riffing, but also with plenty of finger point and sing along sections. I bet seeing this band involves plenty of "hard pitting."



Cool artwork and layout, for sure. Look into this, as it is another great release from the crew at Think Fast! Records.

Oh man. Hands Held High. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the name of this album. C'mon. Feel free to use cheesy straight edge phrases for an album title like "true till death" or "positive youth crew." But to name your album after a quote -- albeit a positive quote -- from star wars?? That just sinks too low in nerdery.



Here's the part of the review where I rip apart the bio. If you don't want to know what I have to say about the bio, feel free to skip down to the section after the album cover art.

You know I love to rip apart an over the top bio. Granted, if you are korn, Slipknot (Rev, duh) or Youth Of Today, I fully expect a "we kick ass" bio. I don't care if it's because you've sold a trillion albums or knocked sense into many outcast youths around the world. At that rate, you deserve an over the top bio. But you have to EARN it. You can't just up and claim it one day. Until that day, stay humble. Wait for the post humus bio to get heady.

In a day and age where the term "hardcore" has become synonymous with the phrase "for lack of a better word," few groups rise to the challenge of showing what it truly means to be a hardcore band - honesty and aggression. Cleveland’s Heads Held High welcomes that challenge.

Heads Held High formed in early 2004 when Rob Schultz and David Breda, (formerly the rhythm section for a mildly successful Cleveland band) ...

Hardcore? "For lack of a better word" hardcore, perhaps. These dudes are from Ohio. The home of Integrity, Ringworm, Confront ... They should know hardcore.

Why does this drummer from a "mildly successful Cleveland band" have a terrible drum tone? I thought the first couple of songs had too much cowbell until I realized it was the snare. Wow. Who are these guys? Is Biastfear the "mildly successful Cleveland band??" I had never heard of them. Googling them lead to the description "heavy metal mixed with hip hop." Oh lord. Granted, this is probably all PR bullshit, nothing to do with the band. I hope so. After watching a few videos on youtube, the in between song banter gives off a much chiller vibe. I can hang with that.



Lets get back to the album before someone accuses me of not even listening to the album. It has happened before. I'm not going to lie or sugar coat it. I'm not a fan. I just can't get over that drum tone. Despite never hearing Hawthorne Heights, this is what I would imagine them to sound like. Great comparison, right? Out of all the songs, I'd have to say the one I can enjoy is All We Got. I'm not super into the harsh, torn throat screamy singing, but the sections that remind me of Strike Anywhere, have my head bobbing. HAHA, I just realized they references Strike Anywhere at the end of the bio. Makes sense. "Intensity of Bane and d.i.y. mentality of Black Flag??" Um, ok. I don't see it.

Here's the video for the song Not My Enemy.