The first few measures of this CD had me scrambling through its promotional package to find out if Current had reformed. Though the jazzy guitar noodling, reminiscent of "Dial" didn't belong to a reformed Current, it wasn't a surprise that Two Stars Burning Sun (and the other two bands featured on the CD) hail from the Detroit, Michigan area. Like I was saying, Two Stars Burning Sun's "The Day They Awoke" seems highly influenced by an early 90s screamo upbringing. But, their sound isn't content to stay in that territory long; mingling a mixture of early Dischord/Council Records screamo, and dynamic millennium metalcore (more evident on songs "Not Just Another Last Goodbye" and "Falls City"). The vocal duties are shared equally by the guitar and bass players -- tender tenor vocal lines (think Egress) hurl headlong towards an emotional catharsis of red-faced, blood vessel busting screaming. The Nain Rouge borrow their name from Detroit's 200 year old urban legend of the Red Dwarf. It seems that sightings of the dark red, furry imp preceded terrific disasters like massive fires, bloody battles, fatal car crashes, and ice/snow storms. Though it may seem as though their name is simply a reference to the band's stomping grounds, its appropriateness delves a little deeper. It seems that for "Another 2 a.m. of Arguments and Infomercials," the band has turned over vocal duties to the Red Dwarf himself. The throaty, guttural bark of the dwarf's vocals is immediately followed by disaster - I quit listening and skip to the next track. The Nain Rouge's next two songs suck me back in, with their groovy, ballistic metal riffing and freight train rhythms. The siren drilling of high-end guitar work and closed-fisted chugging remind me immediately of something I've heard on Relapse Records, though I can't quite place it. The vocals are delivered with the same syncopated conviction of Twelve Tribes' vocalist Adam Jackson. Today I Wait's "Lost Between Keys" begins with a circular Iron Maiden style of riffing before a barrage of bloody-murder vocalizing and blasts of double-bass drumming beat me to a bloody pulp. "Equidistant" couples off-timed rhythms with black metal-influenced riffing. In a perfect world, guitars screech like tires spinning on pavement, spastic and feverish rhythms make way for locking grooves, and death metal grunts coexist with soaring tenor vocal lines. How far is it to Detroit?
-Tim Anderl
http://bettawreckonize.com/
Review by Jordan A. Baker
Admitted, I haven't been to too many local shows in the past few years that consisted entirely of bands involved in the local scene. There are many fond memories I have of those kinds of events, most specifically, checking out the distros that came and finding the odd release from smaller hardcore bands that the 'distro guy' would recommend to me. Although this awesome three-way split was mailed to me for review, it has all the hall-markings of something I would have picked up in that local hardcore show setting. All three of the bands on here hail from Michigan and each contributes three crushing tunes of metalcore, however, in three surprisingly different varieties. TWO STARS BURNING SUN strikes me as a band similar to the stylings of early Eulogy Records artists, NEW DAY RISING and RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY incorporating some melodic parts and paring them utter thrash. Although a tad long and drawn out with their materiail, this stuff had some flair. The second band, THE NAIN ROUGE impressed me the most, boasting a mid-paced, thick as a bovine sound that had traces of early 90s NYHC in addition the metal crunches. Think STIGMATA, early SNAPCASE, KNUT, and even ADAMANTIUM. This band was entirely machinelike in their execution and remarkably consistent. Bigger labels - snatch them up! The final band, TODAY I WAIT however, while not all that distinct from some of the more popular metalcore bands of today, had the most professional, refined sound of the trio, reminding me of a little FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES, SKYCAMEFALLING and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Lotsa metal, lotsa hardcore, lotsa screaming and growling and double-bass, not to mention some great personal, heartfelt lyrics to boost ("Under your hat, within your chest, beneath your feet"). Extremely intricate and crafty artwork gives extra points to the sincere DIY effort. If you're looking for some great bands that aren't perhaps getting enough attention, this split will serve you well. Recommended.
http://pastepunk.com:
Two Stars Burning Sun start out this disk with 3 songs. "The Day They Awoke", the first one, Is a slow bit of yearning emo-esque stuff that stops to turn into a chugging bit that goes into a charging bit and the once quite singing turns into screaming and shouting. It then reverts back to its beginings.The next song cuts straight to the chase, as does the third one. Both have their times where they change to slower parts and those are actually really really pretty and well done. The harder parts are sort or metalcorish but maybe not. youd have to listen to decide for yourself.Good Good The Nain Rouge is next with 3 songs of their own. They start out with a driving guitar into that cuts into some fast guitar work that sounds like a swarm of flies. This stuff Is actually Metalcore. Or It could just be hardcore if you wanted it to be. The songs go through some slower changes but they keep it hard at the same time, most of the time, unlike TSBS above. Today I Wait end this disk with 3 more songs. Like the bands above, they mix quiet with loud. These guys seem to be a bit metal though... with the clasical type metal guitar work. The kind that makes you think of the early 80s and a fog cover European graveyard. But thats not the main part though, they just throw it in... They are certainly pretty hardcore. Their softer parts are similar to those you would hear in any new-age screamo song - sparkling guitars with singing and some screaming over that. So that equaled nine songs, three from each. Thats a good enough number to really get a feel for what these bands are about and they all have a similar stle so when youre in the mood you could stick this in and listen without the distraction of a slow song or anything.
CROSS MY HEART WITH A KNIFE
http://www.cmhwak.com/
*** 1/2
In the ugly world of hardcore, emo-core is so damn refreshing. Itıs an open wound, screaming in agony and praying for the gift of healing. Two Stars Burning Sun are great at it! The hurting approach of "The Day They Awoke" begins with pain and rips into anger, alternating between the two like a jilted lover on the verge of a breakdown. Awake it indeed does and itıs fortunate that much of this three-band split CD (not by face, not by name, but by heart and hands our tribe remains) comes close, though certainly not equal, to its power. Two Stars shares this collection with The Nain Rogue and Today I Wait, with each group putting forth three apiece. Two Burning Sunıs remaining duo are live wires, hissing emotional electricity on the fierce "Not Just Another Last Goodbye" and the rock-bottom grunginess of "Falls City" where the dual battling vocals scream with personal regret. As emo-core goes, this is the above-quality filler before the unforgettable storm so it ainıt too bad in the least! And neither is the smart-rock craftsmanship laid forth by Today I Wait where the breathtaking guitar line and body-swaying rhythm assaults "Under Your Hat, Within Your Chest, Beneath Your Feet" are pure epic power, though the track does stretch its ambitious instrumental length a minute too far. And thatıs how it goes for their tough but uneventful 10-minute marathon on Equidistant." Today I Wait but I have a feeling tomorrow they may be better. And chances are theyıll always be better than the decent but ultimately forgettable core crunches of Nain Rogue. Whereas Two Stars swing for the fences on each of their offerings (hell, so does Today I Wait for that matter) and manage quite a bit of success, Nain Rogue go out on three straight strikes. Take the good with the not-so-good and this Tribe Remains a very admirable emotional and intellectual assault.
- Bill Whiting-Mahoney
- http://www.technopunkmusic.com/
Sadly, the neurotic violence of the conflagration shows figures reflecting a depressive element. So if Friction Records' new split CD Not By Face, Not By Name, But By Heart and Hands Our Tribe (heavy into hard-core) only showcased standouts Two Stars Burning Sun and The Nain Rouge I would be more than happy. Each band is more than adept at painting pictures in bloody hands pressed on top of fatal wounds. But the label goes ahead and features Detroit-rockers Today I Wait. (some serious shit) Despite the anonymity of these figures (born out of the break up of bands like LIVEwithIT and 12 Gauge Therepy) the common goal remains the same, "making music that pushes the limits of the hardcore genre by using an open minded and honest approach to song writing." Urban decay symbolizes the plight and effects of the neglect of our cities. The clouds roll in. Finding strength in grinding moods, double-time/ double-bass syncopations, musicianship and disciplined song writing. Today I Wait channels the furious aggression. "Can't find my home with feet so wet they don't leave a trail" the front man tells us. Dave, Keith, Jason, Derek and Bart grind the heavily groovy song 'Under Your Hat, Within Your Chest, Beneath Your Feet' and sing "I may never see this place again. So we sit at the edge of a bridge and wait." Though their work is not based on the whole story, there is a strong sense of heart in their playing in a journey into the world of the infinitely small.
-justlikehoney.net
This label has few editions, but what I listened was first quality. And this split with three bands follows the same quality level as in previous releases of Today I Wait, Gavin Black, Don Knotts... And it is also a good aspect the way the label think about promotion: detailed information in a plastic folder and so on (excellent this matter). But let's go to the music of that saint band of the most chaotic and destructive Metalcore from the USA. First of all, we find Two Stars Burning Sun, a total unforeseeable band that goes from the most emo/ depressive rythmic melodies to some moments of brutal hysteria in just few seconds. This trio has the power to mixture agressivity with emotive nature in a schizophrenic way. You can hardly imagine what you can find in every next song. The Nain Rouge is a quartet from Detroit that shows how Noise core has its motives with very chaotic parts in their songs, a great variety in voices. More predictable than the previous band, but not less interesting because they also mix and put some emotive parts, but in a more brutal and strong way that makes the listeners be out of breath. And finally the best know of the three bands, Today I Wait, at the end of the cd. What can we say about them... This great band shows its most depressive side with dying melodies that sound over the cutting and chaotic riffs and the most crushing voices to create heaven and hell in order you feel them in a moment. All this has an impressive instrumental quality. If you want to enjoy three bands that bring Hardcore to unsuspected limits, without rules, without standard patterns and a great quality, buy this split undoubtedly. If you do not want that... well follow your rules, your standard patterns, what is politically correct and so on. You choose!!
-www.bloodcifery.com (Spain)
About as cohesive of a listening experience as one could expect, the latest Friction Records release migrates through the work of three dynamic hardcore/metalcore outfits in a brutal celebration of honest and intense personal expression. The always-impressive three-piece Two Stars Burning Sun bounces between spacious atmospheres and frenzied staccato riffs; Detroit's The Nain Rouge grinds away at more stomp-friendly grooves; and Today I Wait thrills listeners with superhuman percussion and the most distinctive riffs of a disc filled with non-traditional guitar arrangements. Each act displays outstanding musicianship and artistic forethought.
-Recoil Magazine
