Thursday 25 June 2009

Review - Stuck In Conflict - Embers Glow

Stuck In Conflict - Embers Glow

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5 out of 10

Norwich's Stuck in Conflict have created a very rough EP which aims to showcase their potential for the future. Unfortunately, it isn't very good, and Stuck in Conflict may want to start focusing on their next record instead of lingering too much on this one.

Apparently, this is an EP that focuses on change (there is an obvious joke here about changing the whole EP but I will resist the temptation to say that), while combining the pop rock of the Get Up Kids with the heavier Coheed and Cambria. While in fact it sounds like a group of 5 guys having a good time in their garage.

Wearing Black is supposedly about the fact that we can all change the world if we individually change. Whereas all I could think about was the fact that the lead singer sounds like he is in the process of shitting out a particularly troublesome pinecone when he was recording his vocals. Seemingly all of the songs have some hidden meanings that I couldn't penetrate, but good luck to the band if they want to do that. I am sure someone, somewhere, is being affected by their lyrics in a positive way.

So let's not dwell on the bad points - perhaps I am nit-picking. Despite the singer straining his way through most of the songs, there are some decent vocal harmonies going on at times. Sam Dunning on the drums does a decent job of keeping everything in check which does help Stuck in Conflict to sound slightly more professional.

Going through the effort of writing and recording an EP will have done Stuck in Conflict no harm and I'm sure they are already thinking about the next record they will produce. I think however, it is important that Stuck in Conflict get out there and start playing some shows, something they admit to not having done a lot of.

It cannot, however, hide the fact that much of this EP is below par and needs some serious work, firstly to sound much more polished, and also to nail out a sound that is distinctly their own.

Listen: www.myspace.com/stuckinconflict

Tracklist:
1. Tonight: Reality Becomes our Dreams
2. Wearing Black
3. Cracks Amongst the Ashes
4. You Talk Too Much
5. Heartfelt

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