Daily Dischord’s Monday Mixtape – 13/02/2012
Five years is a long time right? It certainly feels like it. I couldn’t tell you anything about what I was doing five years ago, but it was, in fact, half a decade ago that this very website opened it’s digital doors to all of you fantastic people reading right now. Some of you have been with us right from the beginning, and for that we are hugely grateful, and hope you still like what you see despite the many transformations. Most of you, admittedly, will only have been checking this website out in the past 16 months and will probably be surprised to hear that our 5th birthday is approaching.
Rather than get all soppy and bust out a birthday related mixtape, I’ve decided to return to Daily Dischord’s first month or so of operation, and take some tracks from the first CD’s we ever reviewed. Strap up, this will be a good ‘un…
Alexisonfire – Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints
The first ever album ever to be reviewed on Daily Dischord was in fact a record that is held in very high regard by all of us who operate the website today. Reviewed by the now departed head of the house, Daniel Ward, ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints’ is the perfect opener to an album, and will act as the perfect opener for this 5 track mixtape. It wastes absolutely no time getting right in your face with the commanding dual vocals of Wade and George, before dipping into a melodic section with the wonderful voice of Dallas Green. You could say this was the band’s defining moment, and what a moment it was. Crisis is a fantastic record, and this track will forever remain one of the best album openers of all time.
The Hope Conspiracy – Animal Farm
Dan had a good ear for hardcore back in 2007, evidently, as he also positively reviewed what is in my opinion one of the best hardcore records to ever be released: The Hope Conspiracy’s Death Knows Your Name. The whole record is harrowing, from the album title, the album art, all the way through to the bludgeoning music itself. ‘Animal Farm’ is one of my favourite songs ever. From the sinister opening you just know that the track is going to hit you like a tonne of bricks and it really doesn’t disappoint. The solo towards the end of the song is just gorgeous, and if I was to go on about how much I love this track, we would be here until the cows come home. Just do yourself a favour and check it out if you haven’t already. We sure miss Dan; he had an excellent ear for excellent music.
Comeback Kid – Broadcasting
Mr. Mark Fraser, who is still with us here as the editor overlord, also had (and still has) an excellent ear for awesome music. One of the first albums he reviewed for Daily Dischord was none other than Comeback Kid’s Broadcasting…. You could pick a handful of brilliant tracks from this record, but I’ll opt for the title track, as I feel it offers a nice middle ground to this whole affair. ‘Broadcasting’ aptly shows off exactly why the album that birthed the track is held in such high regard. It’s perhaps the most anthemic, fist pumping record the band have released in their ten years of existence, and if you haven’t heard this record along with the fantastic Wake The Dead, then you really don’t know what you’re missing.
Gallows – Abandon Ship
Another reviewer who has since went on to pastures new (now running his own movie review website Flicktalkers) is Ash Ward, and one of his first reviews for Daily Dischord was Gallows’ Orchestra Of Wolves. I personally remember the first time I ever listened to this album. I was no doubt one of the first to have done so, grabbing the CD on pre-order when it was originally released via In At The Deep End Records, and it goes without saying that the record is one that has inspired many a band in the past few years. ‘Abandon Ship’ represents the chaotic sound that Gallows so effortlessly recorded on Orchestra Of Wolves, and a few months after we reviewed the album, the band went on to sign a one million pound record deal with Warner Bros. Ahead of the curve, you could say…
Enter Shikari – Adieu
I simply had to end this Monday Mixtape with a song lifted from the first album I ever reviewed for the website you are reading this very article on. I must admit, Enter Shikari’s Take To The Skies is an album I just can’t get through today given the five years maturity I have earned since I wrote this review, but even now I can recognise that it is their best piece of work to date. Before the band started getting ridiculously preachy, they were writing great, soaring tunes like our closing track ‘Adieu’, a crescendo that Enter Shikari are just not capable of reproducing on record today. It’s disappointing the band have fizzled out over the years (despite their popularity continuing to soar, which is bewildering), but back when I reviewed this album, I did have the feeling that their particular sound would be one that is rather difficult to progress. Either way, ‘Adieu’ is a great track which shows a road which, dishearteningly, the band decided not to venture down.
And just like that, our five year anniversary Monday Mixtape has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who checks this out, and thank you to anyone who has ever checked any of our articles out in the past. Here’s to the next five years!
