First, an apology - Corey of Seas Will Rise sent me the info for this album over a year ago during the site's inception, and in the haze of beer and pain pills post-surgery I completely forgot about that. I feel like a fucking asshole and bestow 666 pardons for my infraction. Okay, enough with the sentimental shit, better late than never…here's my review of Disease is Our Refrain.
I imagine there is a discussion going on somewhere among some people regarding where exactly Seas Will Rise fits in the Metal Classification System(™) of genres. I was never one for those types of discussions because it's like arguing with an Alzheimer's patient about where he or she last took a piss (hint: inside of a piece of clothing). Admittedly their style is a bit outside of my comfort zone. I tend towards death, doom and stoner, and I can safely say this is not any of those. Some of the other reviews I've read of the album put it in the hardcore/D-beat/crust/punk/namedropping genre. To keep from stepping on toes or hurting some fact-checker's feelings, I'll shy away from that discussion and just tell you this: somewhere on my highly-chiseled metal body, there has been an itch that has not been scratched during all my metal years, and Seas Will Rise scratches that itch raw and bloody.
Obviously I've not heard the band before so I have no basis for comparison, but this collection of songs seems to cover a wide variety of styles and tempos. The band shows its range of talents throughout the course of the twelve tracks presented here. Most of the songs including drums, guitars, bass, and vocals, which I've heard are pretty important to have in a metal album. The vocals also include yelling, which is a big plus if you have ears. In all seriousness though, you can expect a fast, loud and dirty backdrop, overlain with more screaming than a [---EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE METAPHOR REMOVED---]. The band slows it down for a small section of a few tracks, but overall you can expect fast, short songs that bash your skull in unapologetically before moving onto the next one. You will come to enjoy this feeling, trust me. Or it could be the alcohol talking. YOU BE THE JUDGE.
Although the apparent lack of focus on one specific style (again, drinking may have something to do with this observation) ends up with the band not really establishing an identity with this disc alone, I feel like the band could go in any number of directions from here and continue to be successful. I even dig the slow intro that starts off the closer, "In Warmer Graves", and could see an entire song being done that way. I'm really interested and excited to see what the band comes up with next.
If you're a fan of hardcore, you might enjoy this. Fuck if I know. What I do know is that if you like music dirty, fast, and to the point, if you're a fan of heavy music from Arizona, or if you're a fan of things that rise (such as seas or erections), then you will find something to like about this album. Give it a spin or two then let the guys in the band know what you think over at their Facebook page.
Horns and beers up!
Grade: 7/10
THE BEER
Our native Abita brewery has released a new seasonal beer this year, Abita Spring IPA. I'm surprised that they decided to add a new IPA to the mix, considering its other IPA, Jockamo, has been around for some time and is available year-round. Jockamo is no introductory IPA, however; it has a very distinct taste that can be off-putting and is a love/hate thing. Because of this, I assumed Spring IPA to likely be a weaker counterpart to get less refined tastebuds of other Abita drinkers into the IPA mix, and sadly I was correct.
The beer starts off in all the right ways, with a great hoppy IPA smell and a beautiful golden color, complemented by a light head pour. However, its flaws become apparent when you take the first sip - it lacks the punch you might be used to if you're accustomed to IPAs, and it still has the bitter aftertaste that comes with Jockamo (part of the acquired taste with Abita's spring water, I surmise). It's not a bad beer and I can see it sticking around the seasonal rotation for a while, but for seasoned IPA vets it'll be lackluster.
Overall if you're just starting to flex your taste buds in the non-piss direction, this could be a good introduction for your tongue to the glory of the hop, but those of us who have ridden hops like the village bicycle will find it to be just another lousy lay.
Grade: 4/10
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