Pulled Apart by Horses - Tough Love

When Pulled Apart by Horses released their debut self titled LP in 2010 I missed them. However, plenty of friends compared them to The Blood Brothers, who have released some of my favorite albums ever.I don't really see the likeness on their sophomore LP, Tough Love, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. Pulled Apart by Horses don't have two screamers, and their one vocalist doesn't have a squeaky croon a la Johnny Whitney, nor does he have a buttery twiggy kid swag voice such as Jordan Blilie's. What he does have, however, is a strength which stands on it's own and in a unique way. I would even dare to say that Tom Hudson's chords are what dictate the overall sound of the band - the way they can take glam rock sort of pedals and effects and make it sound like something new from a genre that isn't very new at all. This is innovation.
And I appreciate it. These guys seem to be really down for getting on the ground and performing some real rock and roll, the way the kings made it. Classic techniques, formulas and all. And the catchiest parts of the album - the chorus to Epic Myth and the general being of Night of the Living - make this not only the first post hardcore release of the year, but the first album of 2012 that I find myself really moshing out too.
And Tough Love only tires when those dire cries and rockin' chords become a bit less various and a bit less filling - everything between Night of the Living and Degeneration Game could do with better hooks and maybe a revamp of sound and energy to keep the album going, to keep it fresh. Even then, though, the album finishes with a bang. I can see myself nine months down the road still rocking to this stuff.
Tier: 2 [Playlist]
[what does V.E.N.O.M. stand for, anyway?]

Burn Idols - Theodicy

Burn Idols are this hardcore band from Long Beach I guess. Theodicy is this album and it starts off with a great instrumental track. It's really calm and relaxes you. The atmosphere teetering along the edge in the background of the actual progression of music also kind of prepares you for the rest of the album - a fast paced screaming craziness that could be called hardcore, but could also bring you back to your first black metal album.
And that's the thing. Some of these songs are really short. Some are a decent length. None of them overstay their welcome. They're all chaotic apart from the opener, so when the second track starts you get surprise attacked at the bum. There are riffs sticking up around here that might also fit well on a stoner rock album, even. The influences here are from your favorite metal genres, but the overall sound is hardcore, and it really does rock.
Technically, Theodicy released late in 2011. So late, in fact, that I couldn't get to it then and it was promised to my 2012 chart. As most people who follow the year work, I consider December an interim of the year it belongs to and the year that follows it. Anything after the fifteenth or so is technically up for grabs in my opinion.
And I'm glad because Burn Idols' new album is one of those types that you can enjoy under half an hour and get on with what you were doing. It's also perfect if you ever want to tear apart a room or break something.
Tier: 4 [Can't Feel]
[future home wrecker]