Comeback Kid “Die Knowing” Album Review
This band is a classic and a must for any hardcore kid’s music collection. Shit, for ANYONE’S music collection. Comeback Kid has been killing it for over ten years in the scene and this record is only an indicator that it is possible to spit out amazing record after amazing record, even after a decade of making music. They’re newest album, Die Knowing, drops March 4th via Victory Records and as you read my review, you’ll see that I pretty much wanna marry it.
Track List
1. Die Knowing
2. Lower The Line
3. Wasted Arrows
4. Losing Sleep (feat. Pauly Correia)
5. Should Know Better
6. I Depend, I Control
7. Somewhere In This Miserable…
8. Beyond
9. Unconditional
10. Didn’t Even Mind
11. Full Swing (feat. Scott Wade)
12. Sink In
So let’s dive right into this shit. They made a bold choice and went with the title track, Die Knowing, to open the album. This was the second song the band released from the new record, the first being a stream of You Should Know Better and then a music video for Die Knowing. Automatically, I was into it and it made me super stoked for the record. My only complaint about this track is the intro is super drawn out, but that’s something I always hate.
Lower the Line already begins awesome, opening up with super speedy guitar and drums. Never before have I thought this, but this track reminds me of Trapped Under Ice a lot. Those dudes probably grew up to CBK so it’s not unreal to think they would sound a bit alike. But that’s irrelevant. Anyway, I really like this song and the crazy ups and downs of it. It starts off fast and then sort of breaks down and gives it more of a hardcore feel than thrashy, like some of their tracks.
The third track, Wasted Arrows, really sounds like classic CBK to me. This will definitely be a song that will get the live crowds fucking going at a show. This might be my favorite of the three so far. I think Andrew is a really good frontman and I can imagine him taking this song by the balls in the live show and really making the crowd want to punch the shit out of everyone, and we all know we can get down with that.
Losing Sleep made me scared with the weird intro thing, but I got over it. This is a good track, but not my favorite. I’m not a huge fan of using the echo effect too many times in a song. In less than a minute, it’s already been used multiple times and it’s just distracting to me or something, I can’t really explain it. This song features Poli Correia and I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know who that is and I even tried to Google it and was unsuccessful. Someone enlighten me.
Should Know Better was the first song I hear from the record when they streamed it early February. It’s got a very classic CBK sound and I was pumped to hear them making a new record that sounds different than their other stuff but without straying for a sound they’re known for.
I Depend, I Control is definitely a circle-pit-from-the-start song if I’ve ever heard one. I really like how fast their songs can be, and this one slows down a bit more than I prefer but it still sounds rad. It definitely shows their ranges from being a thrashy, more punk/hardcore band to a sludgier, heavy breakdown style of hardcore.
This is the part of the review when I realize that few people are going to read something this long so I really need to stop breaking it down track-by-track but SHIIIIIT. I’m going to jet rocket toward the end for Full Swing because this song features their original vocalist, Scott Wade. To play quick catch up, Andrew was guitar in the band since its formation until 2006, when Scott left the band. Andrew then shifted into the vocal spot. Anyway, I think it’s super unique and rad for them to bring him back for this track, and it’s definitely a solid one.
The record finished off with Sink In and it’s really unlike any other Comeback Kid track I’ve ever heard. The beginning almost sounds like the intro to a pop punk song. It’s very interesting! I definitely don’t hate it and as I listened to it a few more times, it really grew on me. It’s so different than the rest of the tracks, including all the previous albums they’ve released. I am going to predict that they won’t be playing this one in every live set, I just don’t think the energy will translate as well as their other stuff. YOU JUST WAIT AND SEE.
And that concludes this one. I think any Comeback Kid fan probably already has their hands on it or plans on picking it up, and I highly recommend doing so. They’re a hardcore staple in any music collection and if you don’t have them on your iPod then you suck.
About the Author
Denise Borders 41, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
Related Posts
New Found Glory Releases New Album + Tour Dates →
Wisdom in Chains Working on New Album →
Dropkick Murphys Announce St. Patty’s Day Hometown Show →
