Forever & Counting

Hot Water Music | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Doghouse Records
• ASIN: B00000GC9K
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,695 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

We are proud to present the landmark 1997 second album by HOT WATER MUSIC on vinyl for the first time in years! (5-8 years, depending on which continent you are standing on.) Whooo! --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a sonical bombastination of grandiostic proportions, August 16, 2001

By 

Orphelius Q. Witherspoon (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever & Counting (Audio CD)

I have a confession to make: I don't care about an artist's technical wizardry. I'll take good music in any form it comes. In this case, good music has come in the form of a surgically precise blend of emo and hardcore.

From the very outset of "Translocation," you can tell this is something different. At the same time, you can't stop nodding your head. Like in a 6th grade sex-education video, you will quickly find yourself asking, "What's happening to my body?" Such is the power of Hot Water Music. The production is so bare-bones, the vocals so unpolished that by the time you get to "Manual", you'll start to feel like you're part of the band.

Though it's tough to describe their sound in writing, there are some easily recognized Hot Water Music trademarks. First, the drummer and bassist are actually jazz-trained musicians. In between pounding, emo-drenched choruses, the rhythm section catches you off-guard with beats that you're not going to find in any other punk band.

Vocally, "Forever and Counting" is so sloppy that I often felt the urge to wipe the spit off the faces of these guys. But therein lies the charm. You'll also notice the incessant use of vocal harmonies that are a half-step off, just begging to be resolved.

Hot Water Music has put out a lot of other releases, but in my mind, none of them has ever recaptured the raw power displayed here in Forever and Counting. If you have any interest in punk at all, this is essential. One of my top five favorite albums.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Hot Water Music CD ever!, March 4, 2003

By 

"hwmfan" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever & Counting (Audio CD)

I have to disagree with the last review, even though they have put out a lot of CDs, its only because they are the most hard working bands in the biz. They are always touring non-stop and pumping out incredable CDs. Now then, back to the CD, the opener "Translocation" is probably the best song to start off with when you pop it into your CD player ( The only other one better is "220 years"). The songs hits a place in your spirit, all you wanna do is mosh. And thats what is so great about this CD, each song flows perfectly, almost as well as "Moonpies for Misfits". Finally, when the best song ever comes into play, "Manual" ( In fact this is probably one of the best songs they perform live, you really feel the emotion comming off the guitars and the vocals.) the song itself feels like it lasts "forever", HWM's songs put you into some proverbial emocore trance like no other band can, and this is one of them. Next off is "Minno", trully a great harmonic song, perfect harmonizing and drumming. And how can I forget the double bass drumming on "Man the Change"!? Shew just buy this CD even if you've never heard of them before, might take time to get used to them, but trust me, they'll be your favorite band in no time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of HWM's early (first four) studio releases., November 8, 2004

By 

Campbell Roark "tri-zeta" (from under the floorboards and through the woods...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever & Counting (Audio CD)

It pulls no punches. Loud, bulldog voiced anthems of hope, overcoming, endurance, ressurection, defiance, agony, power and dissent. Some of the most honest and raw stuff you will hear. No frills. Nothing unnecessary. Just business as usual as one of the world's best bands streamlined their act, back in '97. No navel-gazing, no brooding. The vocal dymanic between Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard is perfected on this Disc: The way they work their call/response/shouting/singing... it's like they reinvent the wheel. Songs that change and shift. Songs that crash and tear. Songs that make you shout along. NO BAD TRACKS! Precision thundering drums, power chords that play off each other to build higher like a cathedral's towers- and (a real rarity) melodic, propulsive bass-playing. All you cold ask for. Get this. And pick up the rest too! Technically, this would be their third, though in all honesty it's number 2 for me, as I start counting with "Fuel for the Hate Game." Their first good, if not great, release (4 stars). "Finding The Rhythms," their true first, is pretty damn awful. So you have permission to skip, but only for that one CD.

...Great beards too. takes me back.