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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Catchy, yet raw. This will definitely spawn a following., February 10, 2004
It's funny that the editorial review here chooses to quote Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, because I had intended to use the exact same quote to describe this album.1208's newest release is packed with enough energy to satisfy most punkpit fiends - intense guitar riffs ever present. It's loud, fast, abbrasive, and raw. However, it manages to do all of that but still maintain an extreme level of catchyness. The level of hooks here are rarely present in anything that isn't your typical poppunk act, but somehow 1208 pulls it off without falling into that tired genre. The variety here makes it hard to make comparisons. Naturally the instinctive response is to refer to Pennywise, for they come from the same skate punk scene and have worked with Pennywise in the past. However there's a lot more here than that. Sometimes I hear hints of AFI. Othertimes I think I'm hearing harder material by Sum41 (Time to Remember). More often than not though I am reminded of Smash-era Offspring. Then there's tracks like "The Saint" that are quiet and throbbing and don't wear any influence on its sleeve. The point is that this album samples from many different corners of the punk gamut, but while it's not original it's still damn good. Depending on how it's marketed this release could go one of several ways. It could be an underground success garnering lots of respect from the puritans or they could focus on catchier cliche tracks like "Next Big Thing" and become the next video-game soundtrack punk groups. Time will tell. Regardless, anyone who is into the Offspring, Pennywise, Millencolin, etc... should definitely look into this album. Though it's nothing you haven't heard before it's still well done and will keep you entertained for atleast a few weeks. Favorites: Tell Me Again, My Loss
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1208 rocks, May 10, 2004
I bought this CD after i saw the video for "The next big thing" i thought wow thats a catchy song. This is an excellent album, if you are into punk and bands like NOFX and Pennywise, try these guys out, you won't be disappointed. These guys aren't too popular yet, but give them some time, they have the talent to make it big. I needn't say any more, buy this CD for yourself, and you'll understand, this is great punk, a little poppy, yes but still great music.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And So It Ends, February 10, 2006
It's a shame we won't get anymore music from the boys in 1208. From the moment I heard their 2002 debut, they were one of my favorite punk bands. Unfortunately the group has recently called it quits, which has led me to dive back into my 1208 record collection (a meager two albums) and gain a little nostalgia as I remember the good times I had. For what it's worth though, "Turn Of The Screw" is a great melodic punk rock album that is filled with enthusiam and positive thinking. While not nearly as abrassive or hard hitting as their debut "Feedback Is Payback" (an excellent record in its own respect), there's something so outstandingly catchy about this record that it will be hard to put down every time you pick it up. Fans of the south-bay punk rock sound (as popularized by such acts as Pennywise and Bad Religion) will instantly fall in love with TOTS's soaring melodies and excellent musicianship. However to put this record in perspective you have to remember that hardcore and screamo were on the rise during the time this album hit the shelves, and 1208 boldly stood out from the pack with their unique blend of upbeat punk rock, which was quite an accomplishment considering the circumstances.
This time around the band goes a lot more melodic in their songwriting and structure. Alex has stepped down as the second guitarist, and confined himself solely to the vocal duties. This is one of the reasons, "Turn of The Screw" doesn't hit as hard as its predecessor. However to say the riffs aren't catchy is an understatement. In fact they are the most addicting I heard on a punk record all year. While they are not overly complicated (then again that's not what punk is about) they show a definite understanding of their focus on good writing. Listening to "Fall Apart" and "Lost And Found" is a melodic punk fan's heaven. "My Loss" and "From Below", aguably the album's two best tracks, both feature excellent guitar riffery and uncomprimising vocals and lyrics. For the most part the band stays centered around this type of sound. A lot of great melodies, a good speed, and Alex's trademark voice all help to compel the album to a higher level. When the band does hit aggressive though, as seen on "Next Big Thing" or "Smash The Badge" they make it count. 1208 doesn't try to show off very much, they just stick with what they know, and are content with treating the listener to 40:00 minutes of excellent music.
The only downside is that the record just doesn't hit you as hard as the last one did. I mean I love listening to "Turn Of The Screw", but part of me loves listening to "Feedback Is Payback" more. Maybe it's because of the edge or the lyrics, but when compared to the last album, this one just can't match up. Alex's lyrics are sometimes lame and uninspiring ("Time To Remember" and "Hurts To Know" just aren't that great, and others have similar lacking messages) and that's a big dissapointment as compared to his politically-aware words found on FIP. The emotional lyrics are nice every once in a while ("What I Saw" from the last album is still one of my favorite songs) but hearing half a record with them gets boring. Alex is much better when he's belting out hits like "Turn Of The Screw" and "Smash The Badge". Not to mention the loss of Alex on guitar has hurt the band a little musically. Just listen to the two albums, and hear the difference.
OVerall though "Turn Of The Screw" is a fine follow up to the band's excellent debut. It was one of the best punk albums to be released in 2004, which had very few stand out releases in the genre to say the least (I can only think of Strung Out's "Exile In Oblivion" off hand). Other than that if you love infectious, melodic punk then I would tell you to pick up this cd immediately. After hearing that the band had parted ways I was extremely sad (seems they suffered the same fate as their friends The Deviates) because they were one of the most talented up and coming bands around. However both their albums are still necessary purchases for all fans of bands like Pennywise, Bad Religion and The Descendents. I promise you won't be dissapointed, and you'll probably find yourself singing along with the melodies in no time. R.I.P 1208.
[*Note* as of June 2006 according to Wikipedia, 1208 is apparently still together, or back together and working on writing material for the upcoming record to be released in 2006-2007. Not record label or other information has been released at the time.]
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