Ok, I was really looking forward to listening to this CD but the first time I listened to it I was really quite disappointed. Having been impressed with all of the bands previous material and the way that they have slowly but surely progressed I thought this would be a blinder and I would instantly be hooked! It really did take me a while to get into this CD but after a few weeks hard listening I am really in to this CD now and think it is a quality effort from a band that will surely go far.
You can definitely hear the early Saves The Day influence on this band, but they are individual enough to make them great in their own right and you can really appreciate that this band have slowly evolved into the superb band we see before us today. This CD has very professional artwork to go with a superb quality recording of excellent production that should see them go straight to the top of the scene. No longer are the band using their early Lego style designs – not only has their music matured but their professionalism in CD covers also. This is a mighty fine EP with 6 strong tracks that will most certainly put a smile on your face with their post hardcore greatness. Shuriken are a band who create fun music that is great to dance to and when listening to their CDs you can just imagine them being an extremely energetic and extravagant live band that send everyone home from their gigs with a huge smile on their face.
Opening track ‘The 18th Emergency’ is probably the highlight of the CD for me with its fun punk attitude, great lyrics, and fun vocal style. It has some truly amazing guitar riffs as well – the kind of guitar riffs that make you want to go out and purchase a guitar so you can play them yourself! The acoustic version of ‘Arch Nemesis’ was also a bit of a highlight for me as I had been very pleased with the track on their single, so hearing it again brought back great memories of this amazing track and summers gone by. It really is an awesome track and I like what the band have done with it on this EP. The fact it is acoustic definitely takes nothing away from the track – in fact I think it adds character to the song and makes it all the more enjoyable to listen to.
If you have heard previous material of the band and have been impressed then I strongly suggest that you check out this new CD as it is really something special. This band have come a long way since their early material and although I have loved everything that the band have done in the past, I love this EP a hell of a lot more and feel that the band have come on in leaps and bounds since their early recordings. This EP is definitely something to get excited about and is a vital CD for your collection – you can rest assured that this will be played many a time in the future. Do yourself a favour and buy this CD today – I promise you won’t be disappointed with what you hear!
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UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
