Black Tape

The Explosion | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 27, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: VIRGIN
• ASIN: B0002Y4SYI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,627 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Black Tape by The Explosion

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars word, October 9, 2004

By 

Margaret Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Tape (Audio CD)

this is amazing. matt changed up his singing a little bit on this album and is actually singing as opposed to yelling. the sound is a bit more polished and the songs have more structure, but its great. if you really love the explosion you're really going to love this, and if you've never heard the explosion get this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for when you wanna relieve a little stress, December 9, 2004

By 

Susie Q. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Tape (Audio CD)

Whenever i'm angry, stressed, or upset in any way I listen to this cd and feel instantly better. It's loud, it's angry but upbeat at the same time, it relieves stress. Cheaper, and probably more enjoyable than therapy. I highly recommend everyone get this cd, pop it into your cd player, and turn it up as loud as you can stand it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Step in a better direction, August 1, 2005

By 

Destroy Boy (www.ohboydestroy.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Tape (Audio CD)

I'm not sure why this band signed to a major but that probably has a lot to do with the direction of
their sound on this release. If you think of what typically happens when a band signs to a major,
they usually expand on their most radio friendly elements and "Black Tape" is no exception.
There's an emphasis on big sing along choruses and big melodic hooks accompanied by a big
polished sound that's perfect for the soundtrack of an MTV show (oh wait, they already did that.)

You can see this change most dramatically on the re-work of "No Revolution" which also
appeared on their last record. They slowed it down a bit, added a new guitar track ringing out the
chords along with the original guitars and ended it with a solo that's no where to be found on the
original. These type of changes are sure to piss some fans off but I think it really adds a level of
distinction and character to their sound that they only briefly hinted at on a few songs on their
previous album. This is pretty surprising as usually bands get more generic when they sign to a
major but I really think they came into a unique sound here.

Of course any punk band slowing down and trying to write better songs is usually asking for
trouble as Face To Face found out after their "Ignorance Is Bliss" album but The Explosion keep
enough of their harder edged past in place to satisfy most longtime fans. They also don't attempt
any ill-fated ballads or try to stretch into pure pop. Most of the cuts here are faster paced,
energetic pop punk songs that retain the spirit of their previous work but add a layer of stellar
lead guitar work atop a more dynamic, varied sound. This emphasis on more melodic leads and
a less frenetic, less generic punk sound makes all the difference in this band making the leap
from good to great. With "Black Tape" they went from being a pretty good punk band to an
exceptional punk influenced rock band.

Of course I'm sure this album didn't sell very well as it's too hard for the radio and maybe not
punk enough for the die-hards so it will be interesting to see what direction they take after this.
Will they retreat to their older, more punk sound like Face To Face or stick it out? Only time will tell.

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