Reversal of Man - This Is Medicine | Screamo Hall of Fame Class of 1999 Nominee

Release Information:

8/9/1999
Ebullition Records
Tampa. FL (Southeast)
Runtime: 18:41
Tracks: 16

Band Members:

Matt Coplon (Vocals)
Dan Radde (Guitar, Vocals)
Jason Crittenden (Guitar)
Jeff Howe (Bass, Vocals)
John Wiley (Drums)

At a Glance:

Emoviolence, Raw, Dark, Dissonant, Frenetic

Musical Analysis:

This record encapsulates suffering unlike anything before it, utilizing dynamic aggression, dissonant guitar and boisterous drumming. Most songs have only two gears: quieter, intense and dissonant sections that build the music up, and the most frantic and dissonant bursts of anger and chaos. Wrapping this gnarly package up are sinister screamed vocals, headed by Matt Coplon.

The entire listen breezes through in large part due to this album's impeccable sense of flow and kineticism; each track emanates with danger in equal measure to the energy put in, and, combined with the songs seamlessly bridging together, gives a small measure of accessibility to an otherwise unholy package.

Historical Analysis:

This release solidified Reversal of Man as one of the great Emoviolence artists of the 90s. Its influence on the local scene and beyond, and the extraordinarily high musical standards they set, are still revered to this day.

This EP also demonstrates a different aspect of the genre than fellow Tampanians Combatwoundedveteran, eschewing Grindcore in favor of dissonance and dynamism. While you can argue which is the better album, This Is Medicine seems to have slid more into obscurity, possibly a cult classic or hidden gem. By my own admittedly arbitrary standards, I have to leave this one out of the Hall and it makes me sad.

Lyrical Analysis:

Matt Coplon’s brevity and directness are at the core of his lyricism, aiming at political and social injustices with decided rage and worldly allusions and references. The primary antagonist of this album is the corrosive power of fascism and capitalism. We see how, in the calculus of power, human life is disposable, war is theft, justice is selective, morality justifies violence, and technology tightens like a noose around society’s neck. Personal issues like guilt over failing relationships and the grief of untimely death rear their ugly heads in this mess as well, while other systems and communities are thrown strays: the news is indoctrination, not information; the Punk scene has fallen to branding over rebellion; the absence of personal connection powers the deadly machine of consumerism. These are not the most original lyrical topics in this scene, but they’re executed succinctly and in line with the amazing instrumentals.

Orchid / Encyclopedia of American Traitors | Connective Tissue 1998

Orchid

(Amherst, MA)

Jayson Green (Vocals)
Will Killingsworth (Guitar)
Brad Wallace (Bass)
Jeff Salane (Drums)

Encyclopedia of American Traitors

(Millersville, PA)

Andrew Martin
Keith Miller
Ryan Suffort
Steve " Yuletide" Sakasitz
Zachary Martin

Basic Info:

Release Date: 1998
Label: Witching Hour Records
Runtime: 9:36
-Orchid: 4:37
-Encyclopedia of American Traitors: 4:59
Tracks: 5
-Orchid: 3
-Encyclopedia of American Traitors: 2

At a Glance:

Screamo, Emoviolence, Frenetic, Dark, Metallic

Points on the Timeline:

Orchid was still only a year or so into their time as a band, still finding their signature sound. This Split actually includes a song from their 1997 demo as well as two originals, showcasing a somewhat metallic-sounding Orchid with slightly less chaos. EOAT would release another split this year before coming out with a second EP in 1999 and a comp in 2002.

Shapes in the Sound:

Orchid’s signature chaotic, noisy guitarwork is present here in their early material, switching between sinister melodic lead lines and heavy chord progressions. The singer’s hoarse screams leave an unmistakable impact on the songs, though besides these two elements, this is pretty standard manic Screamo fare. EOAT’s production values are a fair bit lower than their counterparts, but the insanity is more prominent in their songs than Orchid’s side. The lead singer sounds like his head is going to explode from belching out those crazy screams. The heavy chugging makes its way to their side too, though their songs have less emphasis on short, violent bursts and are a bit more fully-formed.

Threads in the Tapestry:

EOAT would live in Screamo obscurity, propped up primarily by their split with future-legends in Orchid. However, you can feel their fingerprints across the dissonant and wily Tri-State Screamo scene. Meanwhile, Orchid was a mere year away from taking the Hardcore community by storm with their first legendary album. Although you could preview their quality in these early releases, nothing could have prepared the scene for their upcoming level of Screamo mastery.

Encyclopedia of American Traitors / Kwisatz Haderach - The Case of Joe Hill | Connective Tissue 1998

Encyclopedia of American Traitors

(Millersville, PA)

Andrew Martin
Keith Miller
Ryan Suffort
Steve " Yuletide" Sakasitz
Zachary Martin

Kwisatz Haderach

(Arlington, VA)

Geoffrey Todd Culbertson
Lucia Forte
Sam Gutterman
Todd Hoffman
Todd Neece
Yannis Stephanopoulos

Basic Info:

Release Date: 1998
Label: N/A
Runtime: 11:03
-Encyclopedia of American Traitors: 4:55
-Kwisatz Haderach: 6:08
Tracks: 4
-Encyclopedia of American Traitors: 2
-Kwisatz Haderach: 2

At a Glance:

Emoviolence, Frenetic, Atmospheric, Dynamic

Points on the Timeline:

Both of these small-time Emoviolence bands existed solely in the late 90s. EOAT was two splits and one EP deep into their career in 1998, with one more EP and a discography comp in their future. Kwisatz Haderach would only release an EP this year outside of this Split before calling it quits.

Shapes in the Sound:

Both of these bands execute dynamic Emoviolence with long, atmospheric buildups with some gnarly screams. EOAT tends to have more of a dichotomy between melody and dissonance, sounding somewhat like Saetia performing Emoviolence at times, while Kwisatz is a bit more “Hardcore,” for lack of a better term. Regardless, both of these artists took great care to ensure the hectic sections were balanced out.

Threads in the Tapestry:

This quick East Coast connection wasn’t well known, but both bands would flesh out Emoviolence in their respective regions. Though quite small time, members would go on to flourish in other Hardcore bands like Yaphet Kotto, Tiny Hawks and Virgina Black Lung.