If madness and poetry were to produce children, their children would be Spitfire. This trio from Virginia Beach doesn't sound very nice ... or do they? That's the problem with this album: just when you think you've figured out their style, the band stops and switches it up.
For the most part, The Dead Next Door is hardcore music with raging vocals, scorching guitars, and melodic bridges. I think most of the tracks are ear worthy.
Some hardcore sounds the same after about twenty minutes, but Spitfire has broken that trend. They are hungry for a sound that's unique and insanely aggressive. The music is well played, and it doesn't sound like a typical three-piece group. I know they used additional musicians on some tracks here, but for the most part it is a trio's effort. The songs range from emotional hardcore to blast beat to noisecore to music of origin unknown to man.
The lyrics are Christian, but not every song has God mentioned in it. Rather than that, they scream about life from the view of a believer. And it sounds positively intense.
I don't want to sound soft, but when the chorus from "Please Don't Go Out Tonight" came out, I felt a little touched. Amid all the chaos and screaming, a sad melody with a tinge of heartache emerges; a power ballad chorus that's sung by a true madman:
They put your hand on your eyes and told you
That you were blind,
They've turned the words of Christ against you,
I have nothing to offer but a heart that is hurting,
That's all I've got, that's all I want,
I have nothing to offer.
It was a shock. The song started off on edge, then it morphed into a different melody and groove. I think Spitfire's ability to take a song three different directions in just three minutes makes them stand out.
Most bands of this style tend to keep it a little too simple. There's even an instrumental song, "All Indentured Lovables," that starts with a simple guitar melody and progresses into a sad-sounding emo melody. Then, on the next track ("At the Burgundy Room"), it's back to business as usual: screaming, loud anthems, blaring guitars ... Did I mention screaming?
The last song, "DJ Jazzy Steve," is some guy screwing around with a record and making a simple song into an annoying song. It's hardly a noise track, it's just a song put on to take up space. All the other tracks I didn't name come equipped with melody, screaming, sick percussion, and noise. Lots and lots and lots of noise. Overall I think this is a very scary album.
Now, I love hardcore/death/emo, but I don't like it when I can't understand at least part of a song. That was the weak link I found on this album. I know that's the style of the music; they weren't planning on the voices being crystal clear. It's hard to pronounce all your words when you're screaming your lungs out. So if you don't like being able to understand a lot of the lyrics, then this is not for you.
For most of Hardcore Land, though, this is an album to get. It's unique.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #78Reviewed by Ben MengdenWith each listen, this album shows the intricacies which are the strength to this style. The name fits the band well. The vocals are aggro and fiery. Very mature hardcore vocals with enough growl and pitch to remind the listener of grind and death metal. And the guitar equals the vocals. Amazing changes... These guys will probably get compared to Embodyment about a bazillion times, but Spitfire…Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by John SantThese guys are definitely innovative and have created a genre that is completely their own. It's an odd combination of off-time drumbeats coupled with melodic, chugging guitars. And while this sounds pretty standard, it isn't at all. Sadly, this doesn't save Spitfire from creating one too many songs that plod along to the end. This band has SO much potential, it's insane. There's innovation…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestHere's another metalcore product from the Solid State Records roster. Compared to other bands from the label, Spitfire can be described as a cross between Embodyment and Training For Utopia. It has the diversity of riffs that succeed each other from Embodyment. It has the chaotic structures from TFU. Sometimes there are fast parts as fast as the speed of light (like Embodyment) but most of the…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by thOrNFrom the east coast comes angst-filled metal-core. Spitfire has been around for quite some time but have only recently been picked up by a "major" label. You may have heard a song off this disc on the This Is Solid State sampler that came out awhile back, but let me tell you now, that song is one of the least listenable on the album. I have no idea why that song "Render Quench Create" made it…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by UnknownI bet a lot of you have heard the Steadfast Radiowaves & Gibberish comp. Yep, that had SPITFIRE on it. I am afraid that if your excuse for not buying The Dead Next Door is that you didn't like the song on the Steadfast cd, then you need to find a new one. This sounds like a totally different band. Solid State made no error in signing this amazing three-piece metalcore act. Now that I have that…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by GrindboyAnybody who had the experience of flying a combat helicopter in the Gulf War should have a pretty good handle on what it's like listening to the Solid State debut of Spitfire. Since that's probably not many of you, though, you can compare it to Embodyment pretty easily, too. Lots of chaotic abrasive death-core type stuff, and done well. The songs don't really appear to have any particular…Similar sounding releases
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