This Is the Way to Rule

It's interesting to note how, over time in the American punk/emo scene, the drummer took over from the guitarist as far as the most interesting part of the band, which resulted in many of said bands releasing albums that were not only emotionally wrought (as is the wont of most emo-punk types) but a challenge to listen to with their almost self-propelled pace. So when hearing Ten Grand's This Is the Way to Rule for the first time, the listener is quickly swept off his/her feet by the highly adept drumming and solid rhythm work from both the guitar and bass. Unfortunately, after a few listens it comes clear that this trend is starting to get a little threadbare. In most cases it's hard to tell where songs begin or end, given all the highly contrasting parts and lyrical sections. That's not to say that this isn't a good record or a solid band. Much to its credit, Ten Grand "does" this style of "heavy" emo quite well. It's easy to imagine that Ten Grand's live shows are probably quite amazing, and it's quite obvious that this is a band with potential. Better than most like them, one hopes that their experimental urges will kick in and they'll start stretching their style. And it's gotta be said: awesome song titles! ~ Chris True|