V/A – This Is How I Kill My Tears / 2004 Deep Elm / 20 Tracks / http://www.deepelm.com / Released 16 March 2004 / Reviewed 16 February 2004

Note: this review focuses on the tracks that have not been yet published on Deep Elm releases. Thus, the Sounds Like Violence, Fire Divine, Lock and Key, and Red Animal War tracks will be covered, while the Burns Out Bright, Desert City Soundtrack, Slowride, Settlefish, Surrounded, and Benton Falls have already been covered in one form or another. Starting out the CD are two of the tracks off the up-coming Sounds Like Violence CD, “You Give Me Heartattacks” and “Cry, Oh Cry!” Sounds Like Violence mixes up screamo with The Strokes and Jet-like vocals along with a strong sense of multi-part harmony, creating a mishmash of musical style that is extremely approachable. Continuing the high level of The Cure influence with their second track, Sounds Like Violence are continually looking back to the nineties and before for their general sound, all while forging the ultimate into emotive, driving songs.

Fire Devine starts out their section of “This Is How I Kill My Tears” with “Smoke and Mirrors”, a disconcerting track in the overly fuzzy guitars and bizarre time signatures. But, like a phoenix arisen from the ashes, an incredibly melodic guitar line cuts through the fuzz, aiming directly into individuals’ hearts with a solo that plays along with a piano. The epic qualities of the band come to fruition with “Reputation Outlives Application”, mixing Strike Anywhere/Inquisition with Coheed and Cambria and Atreyu. Moving onto the much more driven Lock and Key, having somewhat more of a Thursday meets Thistle type of sound, in “Independence Game”. While “Independence Game” is somewhat clichéd, the increasing chaos of the ending part of the track really brings the song out of any darkness it may have been. Coming off with a new-found vitriol in “2nd Quarter Broken”, the track illuminates a fault-line between the music that Lock and Key plays with the more sing-along hardcore vocals of their lead singer.

The last new tracks, coming from Red Animal War’s “Polizida”, “Satellites” and “Riot” crackle with an electric energy that distorts the high ends of their vocals. Coming to the fray with some serious guitar work at the end of “Satellites”, Red Animal War goes more into a brooding mood with the earthy “Riot”. The clomping noised care of the bass and drums gives the disc even more to its’ power, and as such, it is tremendously applicable to the entire disc. While this CD is split pretty much evenly between new bands and new albums, the vibrancy of Deep Elm has never been as bright as it is at the current.

Top Tracks : “Cry, Oh Cry”, “2nd Quarter Broken”

Rating : 7.5/10