I will admit to a weakness in buying cds without really knowing what they'll be like before I buy. I usualy don't just grab a random cd off the shelf, but if I've read a number of good reviews my interest will be sparked and if I see it in a store will likely be tempted to buy it. With this dangerous lifestyle it is a given that a percentage of them will be crap.

Through a few threads on message boards and a glistering review or three "Burn Piano Island, Burn" came to my attention. Now, I have his habit of skimming reviews, mainly just reading the first and last paragraph which is usually where I learn the preconceptions and the final report of a cd. So my only clue to the style of The Blood Brothers was that it was very good.

Well, that wasn't my only clue. I also had the band name (The Blood Brothers, very hardcore/punk sounding) and the cd title (Burn Piano Island, Burn; which sounds artsy in an indie/emo way) to work with.

Well, it came to pass that I stumbled over the cd at a bookstore the other day. I saw it there and the shelf and thought, " Hmm. A parental advisory. That's pretty hardcore. But the cover is very indie looking. This will probably be dissapointing." But curiousity (as you have figured out by now seeing how I am writing a review) got the best of me and I shelled out the cash for this cd.

Getting in my car, I quickly unwrapped the cd. "The artwork is terrible," I moaned to myself. The art on the disc it's self was very emo looking. I muttered evil thoughts to myself about wasting $14. But, remember, it's all about the music inside.

The cd entered the cd player. A smile crossed my face as the music made it brutally known that this was not emo or indie. So with that worry out of the way, is this hardness actually worth the hype? Now, I am not one of those people who likes all hard music. It's actually, in general, the area of music that I am most picky about. I don't want some chugga-chugga hardcore band who's only concern is thrashing around on stage with predictable breakdowns or predictable punk with 3 chord progressions and sappy girl-hungry vocals. No, this rides the line between chaotic hardcore and real punk. In other words, creativity and art take a spotlight while remaining brutal and yet still managing to vary it up.