Customer Reviews

Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'd never seen or heard As Cities Burn, but after numerous good reviews here, I decided to give their music a shot. I love hard music, especially if it deals with faith in realistic terms.

I read through the lyrics before listening to the disk, and I was blown away by the poetic, yet gut-wrenching honesty, of these words. Then, I listened through the songs. I wasn't overwhelmed at first by the music, but it was decent. Then, I listened again. It started to grow on me. By the third and fourth spins, I was hooked on this CD.

If you are like me, sick of "worship" music that doesn't address real issues and emotions, tired of run-of-the-mill radio rock, you simply must give As Cities Burn a try. This is music that wades through life's questions and frustrations, while never letting go of the rope of faith.

When i got to buy cd's I usually have a few in mind that i've been wanting for a while , but when i get there they either A)Our out of stock for that cd or B)i have second thoughts on getting it. So i was looking through the cds and I saw this just sitting there and i thought, what the hell. Bought it, popped it in my cd player and was blown away by the opening of Thus from my Lips...i was hooked. At first this cd confused me. I couldnt find a steady beat/rythm on the drums or any melody or sync in the guitars...and this is why its amazing. I havn't had a nice break from the Screamo/Emo scene is a while, and i was so use to the cliche riffs and verses. Which brings up another thing. I've yet to notice a Verse/Chorus style in this cd, its basically singing poetry.


I could go on with my rambling, but i wont

This is by far the greatest cd i've ever owned disregarding other reviews ive made. This is serious talent

Took my breath away the first time I heard this cd (which was today). I've decided to write a review while it's still novel. Most would put these guys with Underoath (Christian hardcore), but they are a lot better. The lyrics are well crafted, and though they have religious undertones it still can have multiple interpretations. The best part of the band is the guitar playing which reminds me of early Hopesfall/Further Seems Forever (well layered). It's not that the music is full of technical impressive playing, it's melodic, and at times beautifully chaotic.

I you like/dislike the review, let me know. Thank you.

This album is absolutely amazing. It has my vote for the best album of the first half of 2005. Not many bands perform the scream-sing technique like As Cities Burn does. The vocals are top-notch; both the screaming and the singing. The lyrics are deep and not derivative. Instrumentally this band is excelent.

The way their songs are structured is somewhat reminiscent of Thrice in that some songs do not have a chorus and that they do not necessarily follow the scream-sing-scream format that other bands use. Many other bands of the same genre tend to scream and then sing during the chorus. Since As Cities Burn's songs do not necessarily have a chorus their songs do not have a catchy feel but a more powerful one. For example the beginning of the first song on "Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest", "Thus From My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged" is heavily dominated by screaming but the latter half of the song is dominated by singing. This unconventional structuring of As Cities Burn's songs makes them different from other bands in their genre and in my opinion better.

The 10-track offering is a solid, varied affair with well-rounded songs for every mood. It has tension-filled tracks like "Thus From My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged" and "One: Twentyseven" and also gutwrenching ballads like "The Widow".

Best songs: "One: Twentyseven", "Thus From My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged", "The Widow", "Of Want And Misery: The Nothing That Kills", "Wake Dead Man, Wake"

If you've worn out your UnderOATH CD or the old CD from A Static Lullaby then get As Cities Burn to fill in that void and provide some catharsis.

To be honest with everyone, I'm not much of a religious person. I never really have been. But lately, it seems like I've been lstening to more Christian hardcore/screamo than ever. It started with Underoath, progressed to As Cities Burn, and now it's Norma Jean and The Devil Wears Prada (check them out if you haven't yet). I think the main reason I like it is because the lyrics are so awesome and centered on things that most bands today aren't. I mean, most Christian bands don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, which is a huge relief for me. I've been straight-edge for a few years now and I'm disgusted by anything like that. But most of them also don't swear, which can be refreshing to a teenager's CD collection. My favorite thing about bands like As Cities Burn though is that they're just focused on the music and not getting groupies or getting stoned or anything like that, so their lyrics and music is focused and not blurred with pot smoke.

Anyway, I really like this CD. I didn't when my friend first gave it to me, but like most of the other people that have written reviews, it grew on me pretty quick. She compared them to Underoath, but they're not really like Underoath at all, except for the screaming and the Christan tag they've recieved. They seem a lot more melodic than Underoath, and you can actually understand what they're screaming, unlike Norma Jean, who just growls and makes you want to buy everyone a big huge bag of cough drops. My final words: Bravo. Thank God for As Cities Burn.

Have you ever just happened to accidentally find something badass from pure serendipity? NO? Well thats what happened to me on As Cities Burn "Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest." I was just randomly looking around a music store at albums and saw this sitting there. Something drew me to it... maybe it was the words AS CITIES BURN. Anyway i picked it up and was blown away. Its not the most original music i've ever heard. I'm not even a fan of screamo music really. It's ok i guess. But something about this album just grabs me. The guitars thrash, the drums kick, and the screams pierce. I usually listen to more heavy metal type music like Trivium, Nevermore, God Forbid, etc. But if you like Thrice, Atreyu, Fear Before the March of Flames (i like these all too) then i highly recommend this release. They aren't terribly technical but definitely show talented musicianship.
Some stand out tracks are Thus From My Lips..., Incomplete is a Leech, and Wake Dead Man Wake. pick it up, give it a try. have an open mind.

i have been enjoying this cd a ton since i purchased. it really is not alot different from what alot of metalcore/screamo bands are doing out there today. but they do it very well. good use of dual vocals, pretty evenly balanced mix of screaming and singing (even one completely singing song). the gutiars are very infectious, clean, and complement the vocals very well. as with everything done on Solid State records the production is the highest quality that can be asked for. Bloodsucker Pt.2 is my favorite track off the album with a very catchy chorus. also a pretty clear focus of the band is their belief in Jesus Christ and His effect in the lives of the band members.

for any fans of atreyu, fear before the march of flames, underoath, beloved, or most anything on Solid State records.

God Bless

As Cities Burn...

one of the few bands of their genre to completely knock me off my feet. the screams are beautiful and full of emotion and the singing is so pretty and so catchy.

as a guitarist, i must say i am floored by the things played on this album. the guitar parts are so full and mature.

the drummer is amazing as well.

the bassist is really able to carry the chord progression when the guitar is playing lead and really leave the songs without any gaps or spaces. completely excellent.

these guys are going places.

After hearing just a few songs from purevolume before this album came out, I thought to myself, hm this is far more complex than your average screamo/post-hardcore act.

Sharing the likeness of Underoath, As Cities Burn has put out an absolute solid record that flows between a ton of different sounds and change-ups. I can only summarize by saying 'Son, I Loved you at Your Darkest' is full of originality. Few bands grab your attention from the opener to the very last second, while being impressed with every track along the way.

Some might say that this is just another screamo band, but their talent is defined in the composition of each song. Never have I heard as many twists and turns as I have from this record. Dare I say that it's even experimental at times. As Cities Burn is putting their best forward on this one, and it totally paid off.

Although I recommend the entire album since it's a masterpiece on its own, some standout tracks are "Thus From My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged", "Terrible! How Terrible For The Great City", "The Widow", and "Of Want and Misery: The Nothing That Kills"

We can expect one more CD from this amazingly talented band, before they break up officially. They will start writing the CD this fall.

From the scream at the beginning of this amazing 10 track cd, it was clear, that this was going to be an awesome cd. And they are such poetic song writers, it's hard not to be blown away by the lyrics alone, but their melodic guitars, and their truly talented drummer, and the singer is amazing too.

Their crafty, and original material set them apart from these metalcore bands of today, who are pretty much the same exact reincarnations of each other. Their unique vocal styles, and the poem-like lyrics, leave you begging for more.

I was so amazed at the music, that I immediatly started it back up, and listened to it 5 more times. Definatly a must have from a band that's not going to be around much longer.

Personal Picks-

Incomplete Is A Leech.
Wake, Dead Man, Wake.
The Widow.
Admission:Regret
Bloodsucker:PT II.
Terrible! How terrible for the Great City