No Roses – Hell or High Water / 2005 State of Mind / 7 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/noroses / http://www.stateofmindrecordings.com / Reviewed 21 January 2006

The first thing that really strikes first time listeners to No Roses is the different production style that they enjoy. In a sense, this is as close to a 3-D type of sound as a band can get, as individuals can pick out each instrument as it is playing, while still being cognizant of the other individuals throwing in. The band knows where they want to go with “Hell or High Water”; the longest track on this EP is well under two minutes.

This does not mean that the tracks are not full or fleshed out, but rather it is the case that No Roses cuts down on a lot of the introduction and bullshit that goes into the average metal or hardcore track. In another interesting development, the vocals of No Roses really tend to have a musical quality to them. This is not just through singing, but the grit that is present in each of the track really works as another guitar-type of sound to flesh out the band’s sound. What should shock and surprise listeners is the diverse array of sounds that No Roses assault their listeners with in such a short time frame. For example, there are hints of acts as different as Hatebreed, Marilyn Manson, AFI, Offspring and even Black Flag in a track like the title one. Each of the songs could conceivably make it to Headbangers’ ball, and will provide legions of individuals with music to dance, slam, or mosh to.

The pound-shaking chorus present in a track like “On And Off The Road” is just the band writ small; with nine minutes of music split over 7 tracks, listeners will be transformed. The band is straight-forward but not uninventive; “Let’s Go Reno” has a slower breakdown that almost feels as if the disc has switched settings (if it was a 45 being played at a 33 speed). The different uses of time signatures during “Hell or High Water” will undoubtedly be the reason why music elitists much like casual fans should pick up this EP. No Roses has came out of nowhere and will show the worlds of hardcore and metal a few things about how to efficiently rock, while still having all the soul and intensity that is needed to properly cudgel their fans upside the head for an extended period of time. With guitars that never fail, No Roses should be the standard that bands in 2006 have to measure up to.

Top Track: Fete De La Victoire

Rating: 7.0/10

[JMcQ]