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Album Details

• Artist: Arson Anthem
• EP:
Arson Anthem
• Label: Housecore
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-05-16

This project might have gone unknown to me had Arson Anthem's debut self-titled EP didn't show up in my mailbox. A supergroup of sorts combining the legendary Philip Anselmo (on guitar), Hank Williams III (on drums; his original instrument), Mike Williams (eyehategod) and bassist Collin Yao, playing a style of doom-oriented crust-punk that I didn't expect to hear. This whole project seems to be a middle finger to what's expected, to the norm, and in that regard the EP is a smashing success. The chaos created across the short bursts of distorted mess is pinned down with dense melodies, but for my own taste, these are far too simple and repetitive. None of the tracks gets a chance to go on for too long and that helps reduce the monotiny. Crust fans, I don't think, would have a problem at all getting into Arson Anthem; of what little I've explored in the genre, this EP is up there. Perhaps not the most glowing endorsement, but taking into consideration that this really isn't my thing, it makes for a good one at that. It would have been nice to hear Anselmo belt out some vicious barks of his own...Williams' voice is fine but, like the rest of the music, gets old rather quickly. Oh well, supergroups are not always that super. But I know there will be hardcore punk fans out there that'll go nuts over Arson Anthem. I just know it.

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