Posted by Ben in Reviews | 1 Comment
[REVIEW] Terrible Things – Terrible Things
During the late months of 2009, Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday), Josh Eppard (Coheed And Cambria), and Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit) decided to start a band. In the beginning stages, the trio went by the name Initials. Less than a year after being a band however, a major shift happened. In March of 2010, the band changed their name to the current title of Terrible Things and was picked up by Universal/Motown Records. Soon after, signing to Universal/Motown, they travelled to Birmingham, Alabama and entered the studio with producer Jason Elkins (Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, Collective Soul) and Roger Lian (Bayside, Coheed & Cambria) to record their debut album.
This self-titled debut is a concept album based on a series of arsonist-set fires that haunted Fred Mascherino’s former hometown, Coatesville, PA between 2007 and 2009. “Growing up in Coatesville, the shock of these fires affected me in a way I was even surprised at,” says Mascherino.
On this album, the band brings certain themes to light, like distress and separation in the song “Revolution.” “This is not a revolution until we say it is / It seems we only want what we don’t have.” Another noteworthy lyric is from “Up In Night.” “I bet you could see our little town burning, burning bright, our eyes wide open; I bet you can see our town at night from space.” This song discusses the town’s overall fear and distraughtness during the uneasy time when no one knew how long the fires would go on for.
The record kicks off with a 44-second acoustic guitar intro, with violins playing a fairly monotonous, sad melody. Towards the end however, the ever familiar twanging of a synthesizer comes in to transition to the song “Revolution.” This song is one of the more rock-driven tracks on the record. In the middle of Terrible Things we find “Terrible Things” and “Conspiracy.”
“Terrible Things” is yet another song that is built to get you pumped up. After this however, the mood does a 180 degree turn with “Conspiracy.” With lyrics like “When I woke up there were crop circles under my eyes / Helicopters in the sky / I was abducted by your ex-boyfriend who’s with the FBI” and “The New World Order puts things in my water / Subliminal messages and pills from my doctor / These people think that I’m crazy” the band takes a more solemn road, discussing real-world fears.
The rest of the album truly shows off what the band was aiming for with this album. It features Taking Back Sunday-esque vocals, a shadow of the Foo Fighters, catchy choruses, and melodic guitars.
Overall, this is a huge release. Every song smoothly flows from one to the other and thankfully do not possess the ever-present repetitiveness that exists in today’s music scene. I really hope that this band sticks around for a long time to come and pave out a successful musical career for themselves. If you like solid rock with a hint of punk and indie, then this record is absolutely for you.
Be sure to pick up Terrible Things debut self-titled record in stores everywhere August 31st on Universal/Motown Records!
