These days, a lot of heavy records will start off with a soundclip from a movie, or an acousticky, slow intro, or some strings, or something like that to warm you up and prepare you for the assault that is to follow. Not Evergreen Terrace. No way.

"Burned Alive By Time" kicks it off by immersing you in a torrent of guitars, drums, and screams that breaks down into a pounding riff and gang vocals, right off the bat. The intensity of the first track is a pretty good sampling of what you can expect out of this CD. Brutal guitar and drum combos, passionate vocals, and thick breakdowns inundate this record, leaving you little time to catch your breath.

The artwork uses an interesting color scheme (bright red, orange, yellow, and green), with antique-y looking pen and ink drawings and handwritten lyrics. The CD itself looks like a vinyl 45. Neato.

I was blown away by some of the vocals on this record. They alternate between intense melodic singing and traditional metal screams, however, I don't think you'll be quick to classify Evergreen Terrace with the countless other metalcore bands that are playing out today. The vocals aren't overdone, and while the guy's singing voice is no Jeff Buckley or Al Green, the melodic parts contrasted against his screams really bring something innovative to the record. Me likey.

This record has a little bit of everything, hardcore, metal, screamo, straightforward rock, singing, even some techno (and good techno at that). Track 4 (perhaps my favorite), which I can conceive being played on the radio, is cleverly titled "Dear Livejournal," and kicks off with the sound of a modem connecting to the Internet. It has a catchy melody that you'll be humming later. I promise that.

Right after the final track ends, ET kick right into a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence." I'm gonna have to go out on a limb and say they did it better than Depeche Mode. Yeah, I'm serious. Just think of that song with a breakdown. Oh, you can't? That's what the 80s were missing. I guess you'll have to go buy the CD to hear it. It's freaking great.

This CD seriously impressed me. I'll venture to say that it'll be a hardcore (metalcore, whatever...) classic a couple years down the road. ET and Eulogy should both be proud. Nice job again, guys.

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