Customer Reviews

Fantastic Wounds

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is amazing, pure and simple. Ryann Donnely is a vocalist without compare in today's rock scene. Her hauntingly controlled wailing forces the band's pop-horror lyrics into that dark corner of the mind we all have; it makes you want to laugh and cry at the fear induced by death and violence. This album is a work of art, nothing less could make you wonder whether gore is terrifying or beautiful.

The music itself is rich and multi-layered. The guitar and bass swap rhythm and melody at a whim, weaving over and through Donnely's voice in an intricate, chill-inducing duel, and all the while the drums beat out the meter like it's the end of the world.

Fantastic Wounds, of the Schoolyard Heroes two releases, is their only album worth considering. The Funeral Sciences isn't more raw, it's more immature. It crosses semi-heavy punk riffs with incredibly bland angst, but the hint of the brilliance in Fantastic Wounds is there. Both are certainly worth picking up at the immenently reasonable price asked, if nothing more than to see the development from a band with potential to a band which by all rights should join Nine Inch Nails and Tool as the foremost innovators in rock music.

This album is full of energy that is lacking in so many commercial albums today. This album really brings back the vibe of why I started listening to alternative music in the first place. Schoolyard Hereos is famous for practicing all the time and you can hear the quality through and through. If you like, NIN, Nirvana, Bloc Party, Fran Ferdinand, L7, or anyhthing inbetween, you'll love this album. Yeah, those are some random bands I've listed, but Schoolyard hereos has their own sound that can complement so many bands out there today. You will find favorite songs on the album, but I can listen to it from start to finish, over and over again.

Support this band and see them live. It is one of the best shows you'll ever experience, especially for the money...

Nothing could ever capture the energy of this band's live shows but this album does provide a good snapshot of their style and darker songs. Somewhere between their first album's punk energy and screeching guitars and the dark pop sound on their latest album, Abominations, Fantastic Wounds is perfect for someone looking for something different than the recycled garbage on the radio. Though if this is your first time listening to Schoolyard Heroes you should start withThe Funeral Sciences.

I checked out this band because they happened to be playing a show with a favorite band of mine.

Now I have another favorite band.


Honestly, though, if you want a mind blowing, genre-warping, flawless execution of rock passion with some of the most hypnotic vocal crooning you've ever heard, by all means get the cd.

Schoolyard Heroes are very very different and very very raw. It definately takes a while for someone who hasn't heard them before to get used to them. If you like Blood Brothers I would recommend them. Future Sciences is a better all-around cd, but I still highly recommend this cd. Either your going to HATE it of you are going to LOVE it. Theres really no in between/

1. Body Shots- This song is a short intro to what to except on the cd. I really like it 8.5/10
2. Panic In the Year Zero- This song is probably my favorite songs on the cd. It blends in very well with the 1st song. 10/10
3. Zerial Kills Know How To Party- This song is also pretty good. I guess you could say its a bit more catchy. 9/10
4. Centaur: Half-Man Half-Motorcycle- This song kinda blends in with the others. Its a pretty good song ,but very similar to the others. 8/10
5. They Live- I like the guitars in this one. the singing/screaming is very similar again to the others. 8.5/10
6. Battlestar Anorexia- I love this song. More screaming and faster paced guitars. 9.5/10
7. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet- A bit slower then the others. I guess you could call it an interlude from the screaming. this song is more singing. there still is a bit of screaming, but its kept to a minimum. 8/10
8. Funeral Parlour- Starts with fast guitars and starts to seem like the others,but then gets different and becomes more unique. 9.5/10
9. Nothing Cleanses Quite Like fire- Another slower song, I just love this song for a reason that I just cant explain, its just one of those songs that you like. 10/10
10. The Girl Who Was Born Without a Face- The Finale of the intense cd is pretty good. awesome guitars and another one of those songs that you just love for no "real" reason. 10/10

If The Blood Brothers own your soul, then these guys will probably own your soul as well. They are also very similar to Mindless Self-Indulgence in a sense that they are very different and you have to get used to them.

Listening to the shrieking of the singer is akin to listening to a nail scraped across a chalkboard. Frankly, I can't fathom how anyone can tolerate it. Any and all musical ability and creativity is negated by ear-piercing squeals. They are a talented band with cool ideas. I like the music. But the vocals just aren't something I am able to tolerate. It ruins everything.

If you like goofy rock, if you like goofy metal, then I can recommend this to you. If you can imagine what Gwen Stefani would sound like if she were suddenly forced into a hard rock/metal band, and that scenario seems appealing, then pick this up.

I want to listen to this album and soak in all that's going on musically, but it's just not possible. Again, let me reiterate, this isn't some hack band with no talent. It just comes down to personal taste, and this vocal style isn't my thing. Many people will find it appealing. If you are a fan of heavy music but prefer a more coarse vocal style then just move on.

There are a couple gems here, but overall I think it fell short of SYH's last release. On this CD there were two songs I thought were really good, and maybe two more that aren't bad, but I find myself skipping through the rest. 'They Live' and 'Girl without a face' are just plain good though.

Is there nobody that knows good music? How could nobody have yet reviewed this CD? Ok, well I guess I'll be the first. The first time I heard of the schoolyard heroes was a small concert they did at the Redmond firehouse. (They're a local band for me, so I've know them since their demos). Anyways, their first CD, "Funeral Sciences" is a lot more raw and energetic than this one, not to say this one isn't kickass. And to the review that says they're a blend of "yeah yeah yeahs" and "iron maiden", you can kiss my ass. the schoolyard heroes are themselves, and so far, they're doing a great job of showing it. For concert listings (they're just starting a tour now), go to [...]