Review of Boysetsfire - The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague Years

These guys have unleashed some seriously respectable hardcore and that is precisely why I was so surprised by the sound on this, their Equal Vision debut. While it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve softened their sound, it does surprise me to hear so many clean acoustic sections. From the album opener “Walk Astray” to the seven and a half minute closer “A Far Cry,” Misery Index is an adventure in sound and represents a band wanting and willing to explore new, softer, and arguably more eloquent territory.

The Boy Sets Fire I love is the hopping mad band that tears shit up and creates this insane maelstrom of punk ethos and metallic riffs. While Misery Index presents a Boy Sets Fire that contrasts sharply with that version, shedding the metallic riffs while maintaining the punk ethos and pushing a more refined, sometimes progressive sound inherent in many Equal Vision bands, the album still rocks, and killer moments like “So Long…Thanks for the Crutches” should please hardcore loyalists.

Instead of being this natural, organic progression from Fugazi, Boy Sets Fire now represents something else. Not exactly emo but not purely hardcore either, the sound captured here will unfortunately seem influenced by the wave of emotionally sappy bands coming out of the woodwork, but something tells me the new sound is more a natural than forced desire of the band to explore new territory. While it does make me yearn a bit for the Before the Eulogy collection of more straightlaced hardcore, there are enough noteworthy songs here to make this a successful Equal Vision debut, and I look forward to hearing the next blend they concoct.

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Boysetsfire

The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague Years

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