Hellminded Records – 28 AUG 2020
Twenty years on the shelf and no rust
After a 19-year sabbatical New Jersey’s melodic-punk veterans Shades Apart have returned with Eternal Echo from Hellminded Records. Growing up in NJ, the three-piece was always one of my favorite bands’ favorite bands. Musically, the ten tracks on Eternal Echo are a strong reminder of why Shades Apart have remained so well respected since forming 25-years ago. The band is not going to shatter expectations or set the world on fire with Eternal Echo, but it’s clear the Garden State trio haven’t allowed themselves to rust.
In a perfectly apt title the opener “So What Now” has the working man’s arena-rock feel of Bruce Springsteen while Mark V questions if the trio still has the conviction and heart to reunite on this album now that the members are in their 40s.
Despite the above average guitar solo found in “Only Light,” the true star of the track is Ed Brown’s work behind the kit, driving the song with the kind of snap custom made for air drumming while stuck in Parkway traffic. Lyrically, it’s pretty rare for optimistic love songs to come out of punk-influenced songwriting without coming across as contrived or forced, but Shades Apart pulls it off on “Only Light.”
“Dark Valley Lake” has a classic power ballad feel to it, begging for sing-alongs and a sea of lighter flames throughout the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. “Teach Me How To Live” slides in as filler, a song that you could have heard just as easily today as twenty years ago from the speakers of an illegally standing car in the fire lanes outside of the Bridgewater Commons.
“Thread” is classic Shades Apart, self-reflective lyrics, pulsing rhythms and powerful guitar riffs. The cut demands increased volume and crowd sing-alongs before leading into the standout track “95.” An autobiographical timeline of the trio from the first release to where Mark V and his colleagues see themselves in the future.
Kevin Lynch’s bass takes center stage on “Aurora,” the subtle three-note runs forcing listeners to tap their toes and bob their heads while shouting along to the chorus. “Souls and Soldiers” demonstrate the heavy breakdowns that helped Shades Apart work with hardcore labels like Revelation Records while Kevin and Mark’s two-part harmonies show off the radio-ready abilities that put the trio on a major like Universal Records. Eternal Echo will not be a breakthrough record that attracts legions of new fans, however it is a fitting record for a return after this long reigniting their own passion and reminding longtime fans how good the trio is at crafting melodies and writing fun poppy songs.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
