Customer Reviews

Oxeneers Or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go

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

 

 

I got this album at a show a few days before it was releasd, and ive only loved it more and more with every listen. Alot of the songs on here are a little more rocking than on the ep This is meant to hurt you, and there is sort of a drunken swagger to it, that makes it really fun to sing along to... it pretty much comes out swinging and keeps it up the whole time except for traxing and your pearly whites (dave verellen from botch adds guitar) And the awesome gadget arms...

there isnt a weak spot on this whole album seriously, every song has at least one or two parts to look foreward to, and the song structures keep you on your toes pretty much all untill the end... check out the awesome shout along at the end of "la stanza bianca" and the fugazi sounding "big news".

One thing that I love about this album is that they make everything they put into a song count, no matter how subtle, and its catchier than hell but stil has enough substance to make you feel like its worth multiple listens. this is One of the best punk/hardcore albums in the last couple of years in my opinion... you might be disappointed though if youre expecting botch 2.

This album is moving and energetic and full of interesting dynamics and Id reccomend it to anyone who is bored of all the music they listen to, if you name drop these arms are snakes you might even earn a few scene points. Go see them live, steve sneer is a crazy bastard, and theyre all really nice guys. Give them your money.

unfortunately i believe this album is flying under a lot of people's radars and that is a travesty. each year i find that one album completely blows me away. in 2002 it was Bright Eyes - Lifted, in 2003 it was Cursive - The Ugly Organ, and now in 2004 it's These Arms Are Snakes - Oxeneers Or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home.

the songwriting is sensational, the music is very tight, and the production is excellent. TAAS manage to blend punk, indie rock, progressive and hints of hardcore. every single song is awesome and worth your time. DO NOT PASS THIS ALBUM UP!

Simply put, "Oxeneers" and "This is Meant to Hurt You", TAAS's previous EP, are epic. Both CD's possess a charged sound that stands apart from the clichéd hard-metal-mathcore garbage that has reared its head via Myspace's unwelcome infestation of a once-sacred music scene. These arms are snakes have a musical presence (both live and recorded) that proves both refreshing and overwhelming. These Arms Are Snakes is leagues above anything that Botch ever dreamed up: layered and simple, poetic and depraved + driving and jaded. It's my favorite as of now.

Still relapsing from the At The Drive In breakup? Fear no more because Seattle's own These Arms Are Snakes are here to remedy your post hardcore depression. "Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home" is an album packed with soaring guitars and catchy hooks to please any listener. If At The Drive In were to make another album after Relationship of Command and experiment, it would sound something like this.

From the moment "**** Sisters" begins, one can already tell that they are in for a surprise. The electronic beats that blend into a bludgeoning post hardcore performed to perfection. The first thing you might notice is the vocals from Steve Snere that really show off a charisma not heard in that many singers today. What makes the album even more delightful is his lyrics to each song that sometimes talk about the most insignificant moments in life being...significant. To make sense of this, I give to you "Your Pearly Whites", which is a song built around a person hitting their face onto the concrete. Yet, *blah blah* dramatizes, "You could've licked the lips of God but you chose the pavement". "Angela's Secret" is based upon a woman who spends her life being run over by life. Anyone's anthem "Big News" is the demand to perform and work for their own benefit and not someone else's. You get the point.

The best thing that the album has going for it is the production. The band produces their own albums, and this reviewer must admit that they know exactly how they want to sound. The bass is up high. The drums beat right off the speaker. The guitars and electronic keyboard fill in the moments. "Angela's Secret" remains a crowd favorite at shows strictly due to the intro bass line that willing to make anyone move. "Big News" is a groove paced song that would not be out of place on the Vaya EP. I dare you to not sing along to "Darlings of New Midnight", the album's masterpiece continuously builds until there is no other thing to do but submit yourself to the band. However, the band still had a few kinks that would be fixed by their follow-up Easter. The short interludes throw the album off such a fast paced album. They don't really do anything for the album, and I usually find myself skipping them to continue the album. Disregarding the interludes, "Gadget Arms" is also a very puzzling piece of the album considering it really bogs the album down. With an album built around such a catchy fast pace, why include an eight and a half minute Isis-esque track? Leave it to the pros guys! Luckily, the band fixes these two problems on Easter.

Their first EP, "This is Meant to Hurt You", showed promise. "Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home" showed a band building on their strengths. "Easter" showed that this band is ready to start making masterpieces. Believe me when I say that this band is on the right track to really make a name for itself in the near future.

Seattle's four man These Arms Are Snakes kick up a storm on their debut Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home. From opener "The S**t Sisters", about the reconciliation between monetary value and the networth of pride, through "Angela's Secret", recounting a single mom's economic struggle, through "La Stanza Bianca", wherein the stress of 19 hour days lead to various forms of madness, these boys have stared deep into the corporate void and are here to warn you of the death of your soul. That would certainly be enough to send me running for the eject button, but Steve Snere (vocals), Ryan Fredericksen (guitar), Brian Cook (bass), and Erin Tate (drums) mix together the best parts of Rage Against the Machine, Fugazi, Tool, and System of a Down (to name just a few) and come up with a fresh coat of emo-hardcore. Because they aren't navel-gazing, their jagged thrash beats the obtuse musings of At the Drive-In (or their offshoots). And their mission lacks the self-righteousness of, say, a Zach de la Rocha. If you doubt they're for real, think about it: these guys don't have day jobs. And they end the CD with these words: "May your lips never touch your timecard again."

This CD, like a previous review definately is flying under peoples radars. It's extremely sad because this album is now within my Top 5. I honestly cannot find one thing that I do not like about this band and/or album. It's a rough cross between At the Drive In, Rage against the Machine, Les Savy Fav and Rival Skools, in my opinion. I'm not going into some detailed and heavily oriented review on this one. It's a must buy-- nuff said.

It's hard to describe in words what Oxeneers does for me musically. I don't think I've heard a band with so much raw energy since At The Drive In. The songs sound like a mix between Fugazi and the Rapture. A definate must buy for any indie fan. This got me over the dissapointment I suffered through after I bought the new Mars Volta cd.

which is good though. It's good for loosening the stool.

I was expecting so much from this band after their EP came out, and I couldn't wait for the full length to follow it up. With intensity and fury to match The Icarus Line's Mono, and the sort of complexity that only ex-members of Botch can provide, I was sure this band was going places.

I guess I should have been tipped off by their lackluster live show. Singer Steve Snere (what a perfect rock star name) looked bored. I think I was more into it than him. Plus, I realized they were only a three piece -- the interesting dual guitar interplay from This is Meant to Hurt You had either been the product of overdubs, or they'd lost a member.

Either way, it's a big loss to the band. As a 3 piece they just can't provide a full enough sound.

And they seem bored. Or lazy, or something. There were a couple songs in Oxeneers where TAAS were able to blow me away, like they used to. The rest of the album, though, is trash. The band is content with going on for minutes at a time with a two-bar guitar or keyboard riff over a simple drum beat, and Snere chanting his whatever.

This happens a lot. It's not intense, it's not complex. It's not what I loved in the EP.