Common War: The Search Review
The latest addition to the Eulogy Records roster is Common War’s The Search. The album attacks the status quo and realistic everyday dilemmas by combining aggressive guttural lyrics with melodic undertones atop complex instrumentals. Dubbed most accurately as ‘heavy punk,’ Common War pours their heart and soul into this full length album. Members of the team at By the Barricade have been anticipating this twelve track release since our interview with the band last fall and are happy to report it delivers on all fronts. Luckily the energy and skill Common War crams into their live shows was not lost within the recording process.
After enticing fans with the video release of the albums first song “Like a Violin,” last week, Common War set the pace for the full plate of passionate, heavy, and melodic tracks found on the album. The Search will have you banging your head, analyzing every lyric, and begging for more before you know it. The melodies and harmonies found in tracks like “In Doubt”, “Stay”, and “The Problem” are catchy and bound to get stuck in your head, but they are tucked away between fast paced instrumentals and vocalist Malachi Kies’ aggression. The dichotomy of guttural and melodic vocals crank the albums intensity up to 11 but are only a part of what makes The Search stand out amongst other recent releases. Guitarist JP Gericke solidifies every song with complex and varying riffs while Jason Birmingham solid basslines develop a fuller sound. Seasoned drummer Mike Cambra clearly releases all musical energy behind the kit as his performance keeps the entire album on fire. In fact, Mike’s energy seems to never run out. Underneath each track a quick backbone comprised of dynamic drum patters stands out.
Each member of Common War brings their own flair to The Search, without overpowering each other. The combination of guttural vocals, melodic undertones, frantic riffs, thick basslines, and quick backbeats produces and album truly worth a listen. By the Barricade will be keeping an eye on Common War, and are already anticipating their sophomore release. CD’s are available online at Eulogy, iTunes and Spotify. If you are in the SoCal area be sure to catch Common War’s CD release show at Programme Skate/Sound in Fullerton, CA on Friday, April 10.
Be sure to “Like” Common War on Facebook, and follow Common War on Instagram and Twitter: @commonwar or on the band members personal Instagram and Twitter accounts:
@malachithedogwar (IG)
@malachiisme (Tw)
@jpgericke
@mikebystereo
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Header photo by Ashley Stevenson