Gatekeeping has become an ugly word, but perhaps we’ve become a little too entitled as a society, that we now think anything can be whatever we want it to be. When it comes to consuming a product, this can feel like false advertising. Thus making it my obligation as not only a music journalist but a fan of music to present things in the most honest context possible. As a kid in the eighties, I would often pick out albums based on the album covers alone since this was before the days of the interwebs, and I did not have access to any magazine outside of Hit Parader at the time. My worst waste of an allowance was buying Uriah Heap’s Abominog album. The monster on the cover made me think it would be at least as heavy as Iron Maiden, but it was sadly the band’s turn to commercial Pop Rock, so let me inform you that Colorblind’s Who Sold You This Truth – Was It Yours To Hold (Solid State Records) is not unlike what might happen if a modern male Pop vocalist sang for a Myspace-era “Metal” band.
Photo credit: Alex Bemis
Now with that out of the way, we can focus on how hooky these songs are, even if it means compromising what you might expect as heaviness. Not every band needs to be heavy; sonic diversity is what makes heavier bands their own unique entity, just as these guys are taking inspiration from the music that moves them. This plays to their favor if you just like catchy tunes, as “Car Crash ” has a hook that will get stuck in your head. These guys would have worked well on one of those Pop Goes Punk cover albums. They get moodier and more melodic on “Needle Eye,” which comes with an anthemic chorus, as the band follows a path similar to that of Issues.
“Chemical Warfare” has less of a Hip Hop undertone than some of the previous songs, and carries more of a Pop Punk feel. Screaming is not the most believable thing that comes from this singer, as he might weigh 130 pounds, so menacing tones are not what he does best. However, his signature is more of an androgynous Emo whine. “Let Down” does bring a lower-tuned angular djent riff to the table at one point.
They switch it up not in the direction I suspected, as it’s a Synthwave-like Pop Power ballad on “Incomplete,” but it works for me. Vocally, this one is sugary but more impressive than his screaming. Then they are back to the more middle-of-the-road formula. “The Countdown” finds strummed guitar taking over. “God Complex” approaches this from a different angle. It’s more Rock for sure.
It’s by “Lost In Translation” that there is a uniformity to their songwriting formula. When they switch things up with the electronic groove that takes over on “Paradox,” they apply a fresh coat of paint to their sound that finds them firing at their most effective potential. Overall, they might benefit from a darker atmosphere album, but if you are looking for something that is just a fun listen, it might not be a dealbreaker for you. It is hard not to appreciate their willingness to fully commit to Emo Pop hooks.
Buy the album here:
https://colorblindtx.com/
8 / 10
WIL CIFER
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