Old school punk with some metal touches hits the ears as this album immediately impacts the listener with its energy and attack. The half-shouted vocals are impassioned, although they grate on the ear of this reviewer, not used to this genre.
These guys are certainly tight, abounding with heavy guitar and solid bass work, even adding in the occasional lead guitar part. All the musicianship is solid--even if it doesn't sound particularly technical. The lyrics touch on a number of themes, and are actually fairly poetic, as I noticed when I came to read the lyric sheet.
a beginning in the end,
the end is my beginning
I'll lose my life to live
to live I'll lose my life
failure my flesh
clouds my mind
deny my flesh
peace of mind
(from "Beginning in the End")
I find after a while, however, that this album is too samey for my tastes. If you're into this kind of punk rock it may appeal to you, but for those looking to explore the genre for the first time, I wouldn't recommend this.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #72Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt"There's movement all over the place!" This opening statement of this third Blamed record pretty much describes what's happening here. The band, which made a decided turn to the heavy side with the jump from 21 to Frail, has kept on course with mind-numbing heaviness mixed with punk fury. Pit a drummer like Jim Chaffin and a guitarist with Bryan Gray's experience and you get some awfully tight…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Josh SpencerThe Blamed makes a comeback with this third effort, continuing with their practice of changing the lineup and sound for each album. ...Again falls roughly in between the old school punk of 21 and the thrash of Frail, with a pretty standard hardcore sound (okay, and a couple of straight punk tunes). They mix the harsh Tooth & Nail, West Coast hardcore with the smoother, more forward-moving East…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Chris KingA long while back, a dedicated metal-head (me) went to a used CD store to see what he could see. While there I found a copy of a CD by a band called The Blamed. The album was called Frail. Not being a fan of hardcore, and having heard that The Blamed played hardcore, I was hesitant, but at only $5 I decided it was cheap enough to take a chance on. As I popped it into my newly bought portable CD…Similar sounding releases
2000Born BlindOne For All
1997ConvergePetitioning the Empty Sky
2004A Faith Called ChaosForgive Nothing
2004The Good FightBreathing Room
2005Bloody SundayTo Sentence the Dead
2003TerrorLowest of the Low
