Reviews
2006-09-12
Endstand managed to create an album that at first may sound kinda repetitive and dull, but the more you play it the more you notice different elements that enrich the basic hardcore pie crust with different fillings like post-hardcore cream (like on "Counting the days") or teeth-breaking pecans (like on the groovy and moshpit compatible "Right from the start") and an overall fine dark chocolate taste the well-felt bass lines add throughout the album. Nevertheless, it seems like there too much crust and to little filling.
Endstand are a Finnish hardcore band focusing on straightforward oldschool hardcore that leans towards hardcore punk, with the addition of some catchy melodic riffs that create those sought-after hooks one wishes to find within albums who tend to be repetitive (such as this one). They've made quite a name for themselves by frequently and persistently touring Europe over the last ten years, and now they're back with a 3rd full length.
"The time is now" kicks of with the simple "Way out", a stripped-down-to-the-bones kind of song, quite a rugged and basic feeling to it along with an almost DIY feeling due to use of as little production and touch-ups as needed. The aforementioned melodic riffing hooks step in on "Whatever it takes" and get even better on "King of drama" through the dual guitar work.
The highlights here are "These scars won't heal", a very demanding one with quite a few breakdowns and the best drumwork on the album (definitely the most dynamic track here), and "Sometimes dream might come true" which is quite different from the rest; the contrast between the verses and the chorus is enough to make it a worthy song to be remembered even outside of the context of this album.
Basically, listening to this album as a whole isn't the best way to get the right impression of this band; the album as a whole is exhausting, doesn't create much interest and actually sounds like it's directed mostly towards the existing fans – who not only want to see the band live but want to listen to their music with the home comforts.
Maybe seeing these guys play live would be a more energizing and thus mind-altering experience, making this album more relevant, but until then this album won't get that many spins on my home stereo.
Ofer Vayner
