I'm going to be straight up; Fractures is the most anticipated album of 2008 for me. Sure, there were other albums that I have really been looking forward to hearing, but the latest from Killing the Dream is at the top of my list. And the Northern California hardcore outfit does not disappoint with this their second full-length recording.
After undergoing major lineup changes just after the release of their last full-length, In Place, Apart, I'd be lying if I didn't say I had concerns as to what this album was going to sound like. When you lose your main songwriters, things can sometimes change drastically. For Killing the Dream, however, that wasn't the case, thanks to the seasoned replacement guitarists DJ Rogers and Patrick Guild.
Fractures is a frantic and abrasive display of anger, frustration, and desperation. But in addition to its menacing nature, both in sound and lyrical content, there is a sense of melody, delicacy, and hope that is just as much a part of Killing the Dream's sound. Following the intro of "(Re)Acquaintance," the band delves into a metallic juggernaut that is "Part II (Motel Art)." Newcomers Rogers and Guild quickly put to bed any reservations I might have had as they deliver seriously blistering riffs. Meanwhile the rhythm section (Christopher Chase and Isaac Frantini) is thundering. J. Robbins has made Killing the Dream sound seriously huge. Vocalist Elijah Horner is equally as punishing as his scream is as coarse and forceful as ever. This is one hell of an opener.
The band proves that they're not all rage with the title-track. "Fractures" works on a Pixies level of combining soft melodies and abrasive crunch, but you know, in a hardcore way. It's worked in the past, so why wouldn't it work here? "Thirty Four Seconds" is an emotionally driven masterpiece that sees Horner unfold a story of regret and disappointment that is only matched by the intensity of the accompanying music; this is easily the best track of the album.
Killing the Dream continue to thrust through Fractures with a hardcore assault that draws from the likes of Unbroken, Turning Point, and other 90's greats. The band balances the more chaotic influences with their more ambitious and experimental sounds perfectly, never coming across as forced. The album does feature some pretty intense moments. "Everything but Everything" concludes with a devastating breakdown that really redefines the heaviness of the band. It is followed by four sub-two-minute blasts of sonically charged hardcore. On the flipside is "Holding the Claws" with its interweaving guitar melodies. Closer "Resolution" clocks in at over four minutes; it comprises nearly a fifth of the total recording time of the album. While the team of Rogers and Guild lay down dramatic guitarlines, Frantini supplies marching drums. Chase plucks the bass with spontaneity, adding to the fullness of the song. Horner completes the operatic closing with his emotional delivery. The second half comes together as a paring of angst-driven hardcore and meandering post-rock and its pure bliss to listen to.
Killing the Dream never seems to disappoint me. From the get-go with their demo up until now with their latest offering I have loved everything they've put to plastic/wax. Fractures is my mid-season contender for album of the year, it's going to take something pretty amazing to knock it off.
