36 Crazyfists Album: “The Tide and Its Takers”

Having not been at all impressed with Rest Inside The Flames, I wasn't first in line to pick up The Tide. Granted, A Snow Capped Romance (2004) was right up there with UnderOath's They're Only Chasing Safety as my favorite 04' screamo release, but RITF took a turn I didn't at all care for.

The Tide is easily 36CF's most "punk" release to date. That's not to say it sounds anything like your favorite punk band, because it doesn't. But the urgent pace of the music give off punk vibes. As per usual, the high end screaming is nicely in tact, and blends well with sung vocals. Where as ASCR was like emocore blended with staind/cold type rock, The Tide is actually closer to the authentic emocore/hardcore sound. Also, not many misses here. The only track I skipped on was November, which dragged a bit. Other than that, solid.

There seems to be a misconceptiong surrounding 36CF that they're heavy metal. Maybe it's because of the label (Roadrunner) or some of the bands that they tour with, but in all honesty, this band fits in much more nicely with Thrice or Silverstein (emocore in general) than it does with Heavy Metal. I'm not a metal guy, although I like some core music with metal influences. Anyway, if you were a fan of ASCR but slept on this band when RITF came out, check out The Tide.

I have always loved 36 Crazyfists, for me they're taken the best elements of many genres and mixed them into their own style. You can actually hear their influences in their music, which shows that they are good musicians. They have evolved over the years into one of the most respected metal bands, and they have not hindered their success in any way with The Tide And Its Takers, in fact, they've pushed it to a new level.

Possibly my favorite thing about the whole album are the frequent tempo changes, sure certain songs are going to be faster or slower than others, but within that there are many tempo changes. These tempo changes constantly catch the listener on their back feet, and make the songs very interesting.

The vocals are very good, as they always are, he is not my favorite vocalist but he does pull it off very well. They are often deeper than previous albums, which I prefer greatly. The vocals are always in time with the music, matching the music tempos and structure, which is an admirable trait in an album.

If you listen to their discography, in order, you can literally hear how the guitarist has grown and constantly pushes his limits on every album. The guitar is much faster in this album, and often sets a blistering pace for a song, but he still does not lose his signature chunky riffs during the album, they are still there, which is good, as they often give way for some great headbanging.

The drumming is tight and I found it very interesting, he may not be the fastest drummer, but he is a talented musician and the drumming does fit the music style perfectly.

Overall, 36 Crazyfists have grown on this album, and The Tide And Its Takers has quickly taken the preference in my listening of late. A very good album, and definitely worth the buy.

Do yourself a favor and just buy all their CD's. I find it difficult to even think of 1 bad song. Brock can sing, their music is talented and well written. I often hear a little bit of a Deftones influence, which you can never go wrong with! It's some heavy stuff! Another 5 star CD from 36CF! Good job guys!

From the beginning of their fourth full length album you know these alaskans aren't F***ing around! I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of their albums for different reasons. Brock's voice seems to be evolving, ex: Absent Are The Saints...it seems like a deeper growl than a 36CF fan might be used to. All of the guys' talents really shine through on this album. Musically, these guys are a solid as ever! If you're into heavy music with incredible and thoughtful lyrics you should definitely NOT and I repeat NOT pass this album up! They are at their best with The tide! Any takers?

36 Crazyfists most likely peaked -- in both popularity and musical creativity -- on their third full-length, "Rest Inside The Flames." Still, there is much for the average melodic metalcore/hardcore fan to enjoy on album number four, 2008's "The Tide And Its Takers," which continues down the same path that the Anchorage, Alaska-based quartet started down on that 2006 release. All of the genre's hallmarks are in place, here, including hard-driving verses with guttural growls that continuously segue into feather-weight choruses and emo-worthy crooning. And there are some spots of hardcore breakdowns and precise double bass drumming added to this mix, as well. It all comes together to form a diverse, well-rounded, and commercially-accessible sound, and one that all fans of Killswitch Engage, Zao, Underoath, Poison The Well, As I Lay Dying, The Bled, and Glassjaw should pay close attention to.

Tracks like "The All Night Lights," showcase 36 Crazyfists' knack for expertly balancing heaviness and melody/harmony and dissonance. It is a surprisingly heavy opener, with plenty of decent, pounding drums, coarse, chugging guitars, and occasional, chunky hardcore breakdowns. And there is plenty of abrasive, bad-cop vocals to be had (including one particularly memorable, throat-tearing introductory scream), here, too. But it is all offset by the use of some sweet, good-cop vocals, and a nice, acoustic breakdown near the end. This is then followed-up by "We Gave It Hell," which is probably the album's first clear-cut choice for a lead single. It is a very catchy, yet still plenty heavy and propulsive tune with memorable vocal patterns -- frontman Brock Lindow switches from dropping guttural, heart-felt screams to clean backing vocals seamlessly. And he tosses in an New York City hardcore-flavored shout-along refrain near the end, too.

True, not every song works-out to be so successful. "The Back Harlow Road," "Waiting On A War," and the interlude-esque "Only A Year Or So" are all decent tracks, as they are all quite catchy and melodic (especially "Waiting..."). But in the end, none of them really add much to the equation, and thus, all come across sounding a bit like filler, and are not worth listening to more than once. Fortunately, though, these three lackluster cuts are all overshadowed by the much stronger "Clear The Coast." It is very surprisingly fast, heavy, and aggressive, and features plenty of throat-scraping screams, deft double bass slamming, and Biohazard/Sick Of It All-inspired hardcore gang shouts.

And the rest of "The Tide And Its Takers" works out to be a similarly mix-bag of material. There are songs like track seven, "Absent Are The Saints," which is a pretty, strongly hooky, and single-worthy piece of light-hearted metalcore that is pleasant to listen to, even if it does not leave much of an impression. Then there are cuts like "Vast And Vague," which follows the band's usual style of counterbalancing phlegm-flecked, Unearth/Chimaira-esque metalcore vocals, quick, machine-gun drumming, thundering rhythms, and a Hatebreed-style mosh/shout-it-out ending with infectious, sweetly-sung choruses. It may be a bit formulaic-sounding, but it is a formula that works very well; hence, one might call it a "tried and true" formula (which also happens to be a sample lyric from the song). Elsewhere, the decent guitar harmonies and strong, grumbling bass lines catapult a piece of rehashed-material like "When Distance Is The Closest Reminder" out of mediocrity; and the use of a tribal-drum and keyboard-abetted intro give "Northern November" an undeniably epic feel. The set wraps up with the title song, a soaring and docile -- yet still powerful in its own way -- ballad with soft, lighter-waving acoustic guitar strumming and harmonic singing.

So, at the end of the day, it has its highs and lows, but "The Tide And Its Takers" ultimately works out to be a very decent, enjoyable, honest, and solid affair. 36 Crazyfists might not do much to distinguish themselves from the hordes of other bands of this style; but if you happen to be one of those fans who simply cannot get enough of this whole heavy-yet-melodic metalcore/metallic hardcore scene, then this is for you.