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 Don't Look Down
Don’t Look Down
The Fear In Love
Nitro Records 2004
CD Review by Keith Joseph, Rockstarpix.TV
Don’t Look Down’s debut full length on Nitro Records is their first full length since “Start The Show” was released in 2002 and also released an EP “Five”. This album shows a lot of maturity for the band and also is a lot heavier than their previous work. This may seem obvious since the producer is Brian McTernan who also produce Thrice's “The Artist and The Ambulance”.
“Right Where It Hurts” opens the record with a dark, edgy song that really introduces you with the new sound of the band. The song is fast and heavy, with a very catchy chorus. “Trust Is A Word” is the third track and one of the most powerful on the album. The track is fueled by Matt Emburgia’s strong guitar playing and the strong vocal by Ryan Ogren. If any song on the album is going to get your heart pumping a few beats faster, this will be the one. This track shows the bands musical maturity and the change of being a generic pop-punk band, into a respectable rock band. The fifth song on the album “Last Breath” is a very, very catchy song. Released on a previous Takeover Records split cd in its acoustic version, the song’s strongest points are the addictive chorus and Tom Parker’s fast, strong drum beats. “Down And Out” is a very fast paced track. The guitar work in the song is finely tuned and very aggressive. The title track on the album is the highlight of the record. It shows great transition as the song starts out slow- paced and lax and soon after the band rips out a hard, aggressive chorus. The bass playing by Jesse Randell stands out in this track, leading the listener’s mind into the transitions of the song. This song shows a band that is playing rock at its highest point, with pop-punk and metal influences.
“Dramatic You” is a song that brings back what their fans loved about their older music. It’s fast, and brightens the album up with its heavy-pop sensibilities. A very good song for fans that have been listening to the band for the past few years. The tenth track “Defined By Your Desire” is a very good song. The highlight of the song are the lyrics. Ogren proclaims “all the money in the world don’t mean a thing if this heart stops pounding, success without passion is empty”. Some other bands in the rock scene today should listen to this song and re-evaluate their music. The finishing song “Visiting Hours Are Over”, just like the title track, starts calm and accelerates as the song continues. The song is very good but seems to end the album prematurely.
This album shows an abundance of maturity since the days of “Start The Show”. Unlike some bands in the rock music scene, this band is getting better with time and look to become a very distinguished rock band in a few years. Nitro Records have put out albums by such bands as AFI, The Offspring and Rufio, and it looks as if Don’t Look Down may be one of the top bands of their roster. This album showcases that pop-punk, pop-rock, and metal can be melded together to make one very good record. Don’t Look Down would appeal to fans of Rufio, Thrice, Stars Hide Fire and Denver Harbor . Don’t Look Down show a young band that have a very bright future.
Rating: B, 8
Significant Tracks- “The Fear In Love”, “Dramatic You”, “Last Breath”, “Visiting Hours Are Over”
Keith Joseph
http://www.dontlookdown.com/
produced by Michael Giambra / rockstarpix.tv Copyright 2004
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