Album Reviews : The Banner – Frailty

Seemingly, for all promotional intents and purposes, New Jersey’s The Banner classifies themselves as purveyors of ‘Hardcore Punk’. However, on listening to the bands forthcoming album titled ‘Frailty’ (Due out June 10th, 2008), it is apparent that one could now add metalcore into the bands description.

Despite a strong performance by drummer Paul ‘Pollution’ Klein, which lends the album a sense of heaviness, what The Banner have created is essentially 12 tracks of unremarkable metalcore with the hardcore and punk influences of their roots.

With similar chugging guitar riffs throughout each song do little to add interest and variance between tracks, with this fact amplified with fluent transitions between most songs, created with two aims – 1: To make you think the whole album is a single track and 2: To never to give your ears a rest.

And your ears will need a rest; at least mine did with vocalist Joey Southside’s mono-tonal screaming. Generally I like at least a hint of melody in a vocal performance, and this album delivers very little. What is does deliver is too many ‘breakdown’s’ as per standard metalcore procedure. The best part of the album in my mind – the artwork, which depicts somewhat of a medieval sword fight complete with resurrected corpses and dragons! Excellent…

Think I’m a little harsh overall here? Decided for yourself. ‘Frailty’ is out now in Australian through STOMP. 5/10

Band: The Banner
Album: Frailty
Year: 2008
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Label: Ferret Music
Origin: USA
http://www.myspace.com/thebanner

Track Listing:
1. Welcome Fuckers
2. The Wolf
3. Leechbath
4. A Hellbound Heart
5. On Hooks
6. IWIWD
7. Sphrenia
8. Funeral
9. Dusk
10. I Am Legion (Reviewers Choice)
11. Ratflesh
12. The Father and the Wayward Son
13. The Fox is Restless (The Lamb is Found)