Now most of us know that Stavesacre isn't really "heavy" and by no means falls under the brutal or even hXc category. But they have such a deep history and roots in the early Christian hXc that they can seldom be ignored.
Many know that the band's first lineup on the album Friction was composed of all ex-members of Christian hxc bands. And when they first came out everyone was buying it up like crazy. Cause if a band consists of members of Crucified, Focused, and the Blamed then it has to be heavy ...right? Well not in this case. People found out that it wasn't really a hXc band at all. The sound that came from Stavesacre was really hard to put a proper label on. It wasn't emo (which too many hXc bands have turned into), and it wasn't heavy enough to be hXc. And also there was the fact that there were NO similarities between Mark Salomon's vocals in the Crucified and his vocals in Stavesacre. Now on their third album, Stavesacre has yet again a new lineup. The only two members now in Stavesacre that are from the first lineup are Mark, and Dirk Lemmenes.
The past two Stavesacre albums were as different from one another as the third is from them. It seems the more time goes by the more the music seems to have a maturity. Speakeasy is still an album that is hard to put a finger on label-wise, but it seems to totally throw away all the hXc labels we try to put on it.
Now to slop on a score of ten, tell you the album is great, and leave it at that is probably not how I'm gonna convince you this album is a ten. While this album has really brought out the mellow side of Stavesacre, I think it's the best yet from those boys. There are even moments of, I might say, poppy little parts in the mix but everything is balanced. It seems this album is all about balance. There is just a light hearted, laid back vibe that is really prominent in this album. I am not a person that listens to much emo or has many mellow albums, but this one is definitely one of my favorite cd's.
When I first got this cd, it never left the cd player and when I'm in a mellow mood there is nothing better to give a spin. Now while I am constantly sayin this is a mellow cd, I'm not saying it is watered down. This album is FULL of passion and emotion. There is really a maturity that comes from Mark's vocals and you can tell he has been at it for more than a few years.
The production is extremely well done, and the music is very creative. Stavesacre still has something to offer that no one has yet to do as good as they do.
The tracks that stick out to me are the songs Minute Man, Keep Waiting, and the highly emotional songs Rivers Underneath, and Gold and Silver. This album has moments where it is rockin and then it slows to a nice slumber. There are moments of pain in the songs, and just as many moments of joy. It seems this album pretty much couldn't be any better than it is. This is Stavesacre at their best.
Now I have always been a big stickler on lyrics, this is where I struggled on this album on whether I should give it a ten or not. Openly the lyrics don't preach the gospel right out. But they are heavily artistic. You have to read into them and figure out what they mean to you. But in everything I see them pointing to God as the answer to all the issues it deals with. Here are the lyrics of Gold and Silver, a very emotional ballad.
You slipped from my arms, I knew you had to go
Such a heavy heart, who could hope to hold
And I know where you're going, and that's the hardest part
No matter where tonight ends, you won't escape your broken heart
Stay a while
Helpless for the words, and it tightens up the air
It's not what you deserve, it's not for lack of care
Inside of me is screaming out, I'm praying for my prayers
Distracting and unworthy of each and every burning tear
Seems insincere
Do I see God in all of this, maybe all along
It's just that we're so small, and simply not as strong
Strong like wings of silver, and feathers made of gold
To carry heavy hearts, to cover all our helpless souls
To cover all of us
Under wings of Gold and Silver sometimes we have to hide
or shelter from this bitter winter at least tonight
If it were mine to give I'd give you your own time
Turn it back or forward whatever you decide
Stay a while
This album plainly rocks ... even the brutal music fan can chill out with this one. It's a work of art. Plain and simple.
10/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #81Reviewed by Doug Van PeltWhen a group makes music that strikes a chord with its listeners, an anxious anticipation overtakes the audience every couple of years, as they wait for a new collection of songs. The wait is finally over for Stavesacre fans . . . and this fan is grateful. This gratitude took a while to develop, though. Friction the band's debut, was an "instant like" for me. The follow-up, Absolutes, took awhile…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by ConradI have a hard time categorizing these guys. I'll just say Forceful Angular Rock. I don't know what that means either, but it seems to fit. It's hard and not typical in any way. This album has a lot more vocal melody then I've heard of them in the past. Each instrument is going non stop. Drums are super creative - Sam might just be the best drummer I've ever heard. Guitars and bass are moving…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Tom BastianMost of you have probably heard Stavesacre before. They have been around for quite a while now, been on many national tours, and sold quite a few records. Many refer to them as hardcore, some even say emo, but I don't think those two labels are appropriate at all. This band is a hard rock band, and a good one at that. Their other releases never blew me away, I thought they were pretty good, but…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by TimThis cd is really good. I don't particularly like this band, but this album is just plain rock, and I do like that. Everything (the melodies and arrangement) is above average. My only complaint is that some of the songs run together. BBandoppler 1999Reviewed by Earl Campbell / Jason Dodd / Graham Buck / BruceOpening Review by Earl Campbell Go ahead and open up your email program right now, and get ready to write some hate mail. I am about to pan Stavesacre! Oh, the horror... Hey, just send your venom to Treble, he is the one letting me print this... Anyway, ok tuff guys, here's the deal. This album is weak. One can only speculate on why, maybe an overreaction to being compared to Tool so much, maybe…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestMy first impression of the third record of Stavesacre is that it's different, moving further away from the hardcore roots of these guys. It's not only in the compositions that this is evident, you can hear it in Mark Salomon's singing too. Instead of screaming he tends to sing a whole lot more than before, like you might expect on a modern rock album. But this ain't modern rock either. It still…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerSpeakeasy, Stavesacre's latest album, sounds pretty much identical to everything they've done in the past. 9/10ths of the album has that Tool vs. Helmet sound that's worked for them so well in the past, and there's a characteristic slow song in the vein of "Burning Clean." Mark Salomon and company tread very little new water here. The good news is that it still sounds fresh and new. Stavesacre…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Josh MarihughStavesacre's rather unique blend of melodic alternacore begins to sound the same on this, the band's third album. Too much of a good thing, however, can still be a good thing, as this disc fully illustrates. While the band has yet to create a cut to top their classic "At the Moment," a few tracks here come close. "Freefall (From Hand to Hand)" paints a beautiful picture of just what happens when…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Joe RockstrohStavesacre hasn't really changed for this album, despite an HM article where Mark Salomon inferred that this album would be different from its predecessors. Sure, there's a touch more melody, a hint more emo, and the guitars are thicker due to new second guitarist Ryan Denny, but other than that, this is Absolutes repackaged. There's also a lack of the high drama vocal peaks of Salomon that he…Similar sounding releases
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2002Stavesacre
2001Stavesacre / Denison Marrs
2002Live From Deep Ellum
1997Absolutes
1996Friction
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