Reviews
On A Search In America is the debut album from hard rock band Dizmas. The opening track “Revolution" begins with blaring guitars and edgy vocals, complete with metal inspired screams reminiscent of Five Iron Frenzy/Roper's Reese Roper. The screams continue on “Controversy," becoming harder towards the song’s closing.
“Let This One Stay" falls in the vein of nu-metal, complete with solid vocal efforts, and edgy screaming. Lyrically, the song sounds a bit vague. The chorus repeats "Please let this one stay / To help me find a way." Had the song been a bit deeper lyrically, it could have been a much stronger effort. “Redemption, Passion, Glory?is a worship song with simple lyrics, which feels more appropriate this time around. The chorus repeats "What love is this / That You would die for me?" Musically, however, the song seems to fall a bit short, as it slips into obscurity, sounding like most other radio-friendly songs.
The album continues to progress much in the way it started. “Time Well Spent" is talks about moving on, while “So Long My Friends" offers some of the best guitar riffs on the album. “Night Divine" serves as a fine way to finish the album, ending On A Search In America on a strong note.
Although On A Search In America tends to fall short from time to time, Dizmas offers up a solid rock album for their Credential Recordings debut. The album clearly showcases the band's potential, overshadowing the weaker moments. Fans of hard rock should be pretty pleased with this Dizmas' On A Search In America.
Reviewed by www.jesusfreakhideout.com
Already semi-popular on fan sites Purevolume.com and MySpace.com, Dizmas is the first outfit in the new Credential Recordings imprint, an offshoot of the EMI Christian Music Group. Named after Dismas, the patron saint of criminals and prisoners, this hardcore quintet comes out of nowhere with their ambitious national debut, On a Search in America.
Though the hard-edged guitars and the high-pitched squeals of opener "Revolution" might resemble heavy metal or hardcore, Dizmas would be better served with the term "post hardcore" or "emo-core," as the songs move beyond the simple riffage and pulsating rhythm sections oft-associated with hardcore. Despite the feline shrieks of vocalist Zach Zegan¡Xwho often sounds remarkably like Blindside's Christian Lindskog¡Xthe group actually adopts a variety of sonic settings, from emo ("Riots and Violence") and the swaying alterna-crunch of Chevelle ("Party of Noise") to multi-movement anthems ("Let This One Stay") and pensive rock balladry ("Redemption, Passion, Glory"). That balladry sets the pace for a sound that's chaotic yet contained.
If only the lyrics retained some of this control. The group is straightforward about its mission and message, clearly stating that all glory belongs to God. But the lyrics alone don't distinguish them from, say, youth group staples Audio Adrenaline or the recently disbanded Pax217. (Look no further than their decision to rhyme the word "answer" with "cancer," as they do on "Let This One Stay.") Fortunately, this is offset by the soundtrack, the band's fortˆm. Here's hoping their penmanship will someday follow suit.
Courtesy of Christian Music Today
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