Rough Edge: Ramallah CD Reviews

RAMALLAH

"But A Whimper" (Bridge Nine; 2002)

You know what's difficult? Being a fan of hardcore music while at the same time preferring your rock'n'roll to be as politics-free as possible.

Ramallah, pretty much a Rob Lind (Blood for Blood, Sinners & Saints) solo album, contains some of the best hardcore music I've heard in a long time. This is the kind of rock that makes you reach instantly for the volume knob and twist hard to the right. Even though there's not much of it ("But A Whimper" features only eight tracks and just under 14 minutes of music), Ramallah does it job in the short time it's playing. Very impressive, considering how much of this album Lind himself is personally responsible for.

And there's no doubt where the rage of the music comes from. Just listen closely or read along with the politically and socially charged lyrics. Whether you agree with his point of view or not, Lind's anger and pain are laid out on the table where you can examine them in every detail. If you're a Rage Against the Machine fan, you're going to love this stuff. I loved it, too. But, despite how much I like the sound of it, I'll probably not spin it often because I'd rather hear "We're not gonna take it, no, we're not gonna take it," than "Kill my mother, kill my father; What am I left to do ... but kill your mother, kill your father; God make my aim true."

But that's my problem, not yours and certainly not Lind's. Hardcore gets its energy from unadulterated passion and Lind succeeds with "But A Whimper" admirably.

Ramallah: Rob Lind - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards; Neil Dyke - drums.

For more information, check out http://www.bridge9.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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