This is the debut album from the band Tigerwine, from Colorado Springs, CO. This progressive post-hardcore band combines it with the gloomy low-end of new-grunge which makes their sound very unique. In 2015 they signed at Blood & Ink Records where they released their first EP called Lull. This album released on 14th of April 2017.
The album starts with Kiku, which is the intro to the next song. It starts the album quite relaxed, but it is followed by Spit, which introduces you to their unique sound. The filthy sound of the guitars and the rhythm of the drums are a good combination with the clean vocals they use in the beginning. The moment the grunting comes in it gives that extra edge to make it fun to listen to. It doesn’t sound very messy, which you could have with a lot of post-hardcore bands. It is just messy enough to sound good. Their song Rainier is more messier, though it doesn’t lose it’s feeling of the previous song. It is a bit rough, but I’m a big fan of bands like Underoath and I think that is the band I could compare it to. Nosebleed is a good example of that. It has that melodic feel to it and the right combination of rough sound. Sharp Elbows, Pt. 2 starts off with an intro that sounds like the beginning of a lot of metalcore songs. It has reverb on the guitars to make it sound dreamy. The choice for clean vocals is a good call. It fits right in. About halfway the song all instruments fall in and make it sound gloomy yet hopeful. It sounds rough but keeps it’s elegant sound. Heritage is really something else. It starts off with a guitar playing a riff that sounds a bit unsettling and there is even a high pitch which makes it more creepy. The clean vocals make a great addition to the rest of the song. Eventually the drum comes in, an guitar chord with distortion softly strums on the background and a second voice comes in. It builds up to a point where the guitar plays another unsettling riff and is followed with all the power the band has. In my opinion this is their best song on the album.
I must say for a debut album it is good. The sound is luckily not too messy. Most of the time I don’t like bands that make very messy sounding metal or music in general. This band however does the right thing. It fits right in the ally of bands like Underoath and Norma Jean. It’s not the most rough and heavy album, but the sound is there. And considering the fact that it is their first album they did a good job. With a sound like this and some changes Tigerwine might be a band to keep your eye on.
Rating: 8/10
Written by Joshua
Tracklist:
01. Kiku
02. Spit
03. Rainier
04. Nosebleed
05. Sign
06. 110
07. Double-Edged
08. Sharp Elbows (Pt. 2)
09. Soot
10. Heritage
11. High Roof
Band members:
Hayden Trobee
Sean McKnight
Steve Lichtenwalter
Shane Riley
Albums:
“Lull” ep (2015)
“Die With Your Tongue Out” (2017)
Record label: Blood & Ink Records, April 2017.
Weblinks: Facebook / Bandcamp / Twitter
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video for ‘Spit’
Video (audio) below ‘Double-Edged’
Video (audio) for ‘Nosebleed’