Even though they're 2nd on the cd, I'll take on Nailed Promise first off here. I'd not heard them before, so I had no expectations really, but they turn out to just not really be my style. It's that "post-hardcore" vibe, I guess, that makes me think of Blindside, and although I think I like this better than Blindside, it's just not quite up my alley. There are some cool hardcore-ish parts (most notably in "Sink Your Teeth") that I dig and they sing about God straight-up, I suppose I'd recommend this to fans of the genre, I'm just not one.
Mindrage, on the other hand, IS more my thing, and the reason I went out of my way to pick this up. Letdown! The material isn't bad for the Living Sacrifice/ERASE/lotsofbands style. The first track "Outcry" is probably the best I've heard from them -- great aggressive groove that just doesn't let up. Great song! "Disowned" has a fiery chorus line that reminds me of "Asphyxiate" from their last album, and I really like the vocalists phrasing, the way he just spits the words out one-after-another-after-another. Why the letdown then? Despite the merit these songs have, the sound on this cd just holds the whole deal back. Drums and guitars, specifically, just sound so small! The guitars just are so thin and the drums so puny, it just sucks the enjoyment right out. Don't misunderstand, this is a "cleanly" produced cd, but no matter how loud you turn it up, it's simply incapable of beating you over the head the way I'd like it to. Best point of reference might be the hungry guitars and beefy drums that Uplifted's last cd offered -- similar styles, but what a difference in sound! I like Mindrage, I will continue to like Mindrage, but sadly I won't be playing this cd very much at all.
6.5/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #88Reviewed by Jason DoddFour new songs each from the Southern hardcore outfits Mindrage and Nailed Promise -- brought to you by the Texan upstart Pluto Records. Mindrage's contributions run the gruff vox with pseudo-metal riffs writhing on low-end breakdowns gamut. Lots of throaty intensity. Nailed Promise compliment their split partner, taking a similar traditional vocal approach with a bit more of an un-traditional…Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Nate BaileyMindrage is sort of new school metal, taking the old school metal of yesteryears and adding to it a bit of the new metal/hardcore influence. As far as metal goes, the music is tight, exciting and has that something extra. On the downside (this is not a Klank reference) I wasn't a huge fan of the vocals, which reminded me of old Living Sacrifice vocals (circa Inhabit). While there are many…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Josh SpencerMindrage and Nailed Promise are two of those heavy bands that a teenager just getting into metal and hardcore will think really ROCK. If that's you, read no further and go support these bands. For veteran moshers, though, Mindrage isn't much more than your average groovin' rumble roarcore--all brawn and no brains. Meaty distortion, meaty riffs, meaty drums (lots of double bass), meaty bass (a…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by Orc-CleaverHave you ever gotten a cd that you knew would be good before you even gave it a listen? I respect Mindrage a great deal and I knew that they would blow me away and I wasn't disappointed in the least. If Mindrage was an animal, it would be a charging bull; heavy, angry and resolute. Each note, snare hit and bellow hits you hard! I'm not sure if metalcore can get any better. As for Nailed Promise,…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by Hey YouI was kind of eager to get this split because I liked Mindrage's CD and I wanted to hear Nailed Promise (I heard they were good). The first band on it is Mindrage and I wasn't overly impressed. While it's not bad or anything, it just was the same as their album. A tiny bit more creative in the music, but still pretty much the same thing. Also, with the release of Living Sacrifice's THE HAMMERING…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by D_ListerHelmet is back...I mean Nailed Promise is back! Seriously back in "the day" Helmet was one of my favorite secular bands. Certainly Everdown and Nailed Promise have become some of my favorite Christian bands. So when I hear Pluto-Records was putting out a split with Nailed Promise and Mindrage I was all over it! What you get are 4 completely new tracks by each band, all of which have a superb…Similar sounding releases
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