Silverstein-A Shipwreck in the Sand
Victory
March 31, 2009

When a band has been around for awhile, and reached moderate success in their adventure, fans can't help but to wonder what path they'll travel next. Silverstein have put out three albums mixing emo, hardcore, punk, whatever, and they've all held their own, keeping my interest level up while not abandoning their style. That in itself is quite impressive with a band these days, as most bands are trying to distance themselves from previous albums by either writing songs that are in a completely new direction that they know will alienate fans but claim will keep their core audience that "gets it" while gaining new fans, or writing an album that will pander to the masses (which could be reasoned with option a).

A Shipwreck in the Sand follows the same structure that Silverstein have been pounding away at since When Broken Is Easily Fixed broke out and made them a scene household name. They combine elements of everything, which was the style back in 2003 when their Victory debut came out, and they're still able to sound fresh and enjoyable, even after all the other bands doing the same thing, ultimately making the sound taste like an overopened bag of potato chips. They keep things fresh, creating something for both old and new fans, exploring new territory while keeping their feet firmly planted where they should be.

There are two things that stick out most about A Shipwreck in the Sand. The first is the speed. There are a lot more fast parts on this album than I'm pretty sure their others combined, which makes me happier than a pig rolling in its own slop after finding out he's not going to the slaughter house. They do some great things during the slower parts, but bands-especially bands like this-don't usually play fast, giving extra bonus points to the ones that do. The second is the drumming of Paul Koehler. I never noticed how good he actually is, but he displays some killer chops throughout this album. The fills are good in their own right, but he shines when creating a drum line. The best example of this is the opening to "Vices." I can't get enough of his work; his best to date, which fits right along with the rest of the band.

Written by: RF
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