Reversal of Man - Revolution Summer | Screamo Hall of Fame Class of 1998 Nominee

Release Information:

1998
Schematics Records
Tampa, FL (Southwest)
Runtime: 17:12
Tracks: 7

Band Members:

Matt Coplon (Vocals)
Jasen Weitekamp (Guitar)
Jason Crittenden (Guitar)
Jeff Howe (Bass, Vocals)
John Willey (Drums)

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Screamo, Emoviolence, Hardcore Punk, Manic, Dissonant, Noisy, Intense

Musical Analysis:

This album is a musical gut punch that rarely relents and always keeps you guessing with sudden tempo changes and dynamic volume switches. The dissonant guitar tones perfectly encapsulate the feelings of desperation and unease while the drummer hammers home the immediacy. The bass is refreshingly well-mixed and adds a powerful undercurrent to the songs. The vocals are brimming with passion and reach unhinged levels of depravity during the most chaotic and cathartic moments on this release.

Historical Analysis:

This EP represents the growth of both Reversal of Man and Emoviolence in the last few years; having solidified the lineup for this release a year prior on a split with Enemy Soil, they expanded on that sound with faster and harsher conviction. However, the dynamism found here further shaped Emoviolence away from the more chaotic and grindy stuff. However good this is, Emoviolence was on the cusp of breaking out and this EP remains a hidden gem on the shores of the Hall.

Lyrical Analysis:

*Note that because this is an old release in the grand scheme of Screamo history, I cannot locate lyrics for about half of these songs. I’ll be basing my analysis on the available lyrics*

Lyrically, this record has a simple and direct message: they love the scene, but the scene is dying. Titling the album Revolution Summer invokes the very beginning of Emo in 1985, with Punk’s ethos firmly intact. However, 13 years on from Rites of Spring, The Hated and Gray Matter, Punk has started falling into corruption and hypocrisy. Relationships are futile, nostalgia is a lie and the scene has been betrayed by those who embody the opposite of their message. The only salvation we have is to remember our humanity.

Heroin - Heroin | Holy Grails 1997

The Artifact:

1/14/1997
Gravity Records
Runtime: 47:04
Tracks: 19

Artifact Characteristics:

Post-Hardcore, Proto-Screamo, Noise Rock, Hardcore Punk, Emocore, Raw, Intense

Artifact Archeologists

Matt Anderson (Vocals)
Scott Bartoloni (Guitar)
Ron Johnson (Bass)
Aaron Montaigne (Drums)

Artifact Contents:

Every track from All About Heroin
Every track from their 1992 s/t
Every track from their 1993 s/t
Three original tracks

Artifact Echoes:

Legends of early 90s Proto-Screamo and one of the original bands to explore this sonic space, Heroin took the power and fury of Hardcore, illuminated it with the melody and dynamism of Emocore and added in their own Post-Hardcore fixings to craft a noisy and raw discography. The singer’s shouted screams inject the music with even more immediacy and emotion, the guitarist didorients with breakneck chord progressions and heaps of noisy dissonance; the bass packs with it a sense of danger and the drumming is frantic and chaotic, effectively putting the formula in a blender. These pieces came together to from the early blueprints of the genre.

Artifact Legacy:

Listening through this compilation album showcases the band's evolution over the two years they were active, tracking their increased use of melody, dissonance and intensity. In addition to pioneering this genre and shaking up the early 90s Hardcore scene, Heroin's direct influences reached so many early Screamo bands, especially to the influential and genre-defining Gravity Records rostermates. Their drummer would form Antioch Arrow shortly after this band broke up, adding even more chaos and unease to the developing genre. However, that experimental edge was first put to use in Heroin.

Artifact Value:

Gravity Records released this comp in 1997 with several versions, allegedly including a rainbow pressing. All four versions I could find seem to be relatively inexpensive, with the price likely lowering a few years ago after Heroin released a new compilation album.