Blacklisted - No one deserves to be here more than me (12'')

This new Blacklisted album arrived as a total Christmas surprise. Nothing was announced, until Deathwish claimed a new LP from the band was now available on their store. Only as vinyl. Hence the buzz around the record, with people questioning the band's behaviour and decision. I won't dwell on this subject, if you want to know more about it, I suggest you to read this interview with Jacob Bannon (Converge's singer and owner of Deathwish Records). Blacklisted decided not to give any interviews for this release.

I'm gonna break the suspense immediately: 'No one deserves to be here more than me' is a cat among hardcore's pigeons. When I first played the record, I thought I put an Everytime I Die record. I couldn't be more wrong. Blacklisted have swallowed dozens of disparate influences and this fourth full-length is the radiography of their stomach after digestion. And there's a lot to see. Don't be too hard with the Everytime I Die comparison, George Hirsch does sound more and more like Keith Buckley. His singing has evolved much and he is now shouting more than barking. It is a bit disconcerting at first, but after several listens, it sounds more appropriate to the band's new style. They do keep their hardcore roots, don't get me wrong. 'No one deserves to be here more than me' is a hardcore record. But, as it was already the case on songs like 'I am weighing me down' on the previous album, there's a lot of 90's rock influence. Listen to the solo on 'Everything in my life is for sale'. The riffs range over as different bands as Helmet and Soundgarden. People are also probably gonna say there is a grunge vibe in the guitars but it's more because of the warm production. You'll hear some Alice In Chains and Nirvana a few times. The slower stuff as 'I am extraordinary' even reminded me of The Pixies. This song features some feminine vocals provided by Melissa Farley, who seems to be the photographer who created the sublime artwork for 'Heavier than heaven, lonelier than God'. It's not the only new element, as this song and several others include a few instruments as a violin, a trumpet and even an uncommon rainstick. There also are four weird interludes, close to what The Sound Of Animals Fighting do. And, last but not least, some parts are really catchy. Yep, catchy. The title-track's chorus is instantly memorable and the AC/DC-reminiscent back and forth riff on 'Skeletons' is a killer. Their acoustic attempt (yes, you read well) on 'The P.I.G. (The problem is G)' however didn't do it for me, too monotonous.

The flaws are few on what Blacklisted just created. They've made their sound evolve in unexpected and interesting directions to come up with something unique. This new album is not your average breakdown harcore record. It's a piece of heavy rock (and would I dare say it has a sexy touch too?) by musicians with guts and creativity. I'm sure it will be received by very mixed reactions, but people should really override the surprise to focus on what this record has to offer. It was hard for me to get into it, but it may be the best hardcore album of the year. One of those who will later be regarded as avant-gardist.

4.5/5

Recommanded if you like:
Snapcase, Quicksand, Bitter End
Check also:
New Lows, Downpresser, Pellinore

www.myspace.com/blacklisted
(Deathwish Inc., 2009)