Listen to Ten-33's Emergency! Emergency! without looking at the CD player and you'll swear the first four tracks are one song. They're short, to the point, and sound alike—but are solid pieces of hardcore regalia that continue on through all of the tracks on the album. The record is more of a throwback to older hardcore styles, sounding equal parts punk and heavy, drawing on a myriad of influences to hash out 13 tracks and a secret song. There isn't much new here that deviates the band from any other hardcore outfit (the fist-pumping anthems, fast beats, lyrical themes of unity and not backing down), but the record is enjoyable to listen to; it's a fun record and will definitely be a hit live. The standout track here is "Black Manhattan," where the band shows commanding control of song structure and guitar melody so that the listener detects the subtle changes a hardcore record needs to rise above. Ten-33 has it in them—as this song shows—and if their other tracks maintained this songwriting, the record would be great.
Editors' ratings — Doug 4/5, David 3/5
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Len NashThe Emergency was a band who had to switch its name, now going by Ten 33. Ten 33 is a band from the East Coast, straight edge music, fast drums, guitars, with a hardcore throw and grit-type feeling. Not exactly straight edge but adding an element of a grittier not-so-youth-crew taste, at times Emergency! Emergency! can sound slightly reminiscent of old Facedown band, Dodgin' Bullets or a rougher…Similar sounding releases
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