PRIMITIVE WEAPONS

Surrender Yourself

PARTY SMASHER INC Expansive hardcore quartet forget to change gears

Friends, families and fans of Primitive Weapons might see Surrender Yourself as the sound of the Long Islanders growing up and/or slowing down. Folks experiencing the quartet for the first time will hear a band in tune with emotional vulnerability and a desire for expansiveness. Posthardcore with massive melodies skirting a line between radio rock syrup and grit is the order of the day on self-referential call out Hideous Heart, while the ethereally silky Keep The Lights Out should satisfy anyone waiting for a new Tool album. As full-length number three progresses, dark tones and darker moods are flirted with, which strip protective layers off souls but stumble in the captivation category due to clichés (whispered phone receiver angst) and an unwillingness to move beyond a disappointingly samey mid-pace.

FOR FANS OF: Quicksand, The Mars Volta, Deftones

cONNIE GORDON