Scatter the Ashes - Devout / The Modern Hymn

LABEL: Epitaph Records

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2004



Epitaph Records raised more than a few eyebrows when they began signing a number of acts whose style more than curiously departed from the EpiFat sound that dominated the 1990s. Where this all began is hard to say -- maybe it was in mid-2002, when they signed the Getaway, a run-of-the-mill MP3.com-era pop-punk band who eventually became Matchbook Romance and broke up a few years later. The point is, Scatter the Ashes was one of those left-field additions, and were probably cast aside by many for that reason.

It couldn't have helped any that the band's early material was described as a cross between AFI and Glassjaw, and the label first laid some questionable hyperbole upon the band, describing them as "honing the ethereal and ambitious qualities of Joy Division and the sonic intensity of Refused."

The truth is, Devout / The Modern Hymn, which became their only full-length as the band broke up two years after its 2004 release, doesn't entirely reach the magnificent proportions hinted at by that description. However, it's still a haunting, driven and wonderfully crafted piece of post-hardcore or what have you.

There's a heavy Cave In vibe circa Jupiter, with honest-to-goodness splashes of Refused's progressive hardcore (notably in the scathing and incensed "White Actress"). And I can admit: There are sure hints of Joy Division's atmosphere to be found. Sure, their vocalist did sound vaguely like the androgynous love child of Daryl Palumbo and Davey Havok, but it was a versatile, wavery voice that fit the moods perfectly.

Dark, treacherous and wholly dynamic, Devout / The Modern Hymn is one of the best original full-length releases to result from Epitaph's new era. Not that it says much to some, but it's definitely worth a listen if you missed out the first time.

MP3s:
"Christine Daae"
"City in the Sea"