Nathan Gray was the lead singer of what was one of the most important band in the late 90's, Boy Sets Fire. There are plenty of people out there that would just love to refute this fact. Nevertheless from Boy Sets Fire's performance at More than Music where they had members of the audience come up and talk about being sexually violated to their never ending battle with Conquer the World Records to finally "selling out" and going to Victory there was no other band that was constantly on the lips of those in the know during the last decade. Unfortunately Boy Sets Fire faded to obscurity by signing to the same label as Creed (Creed!) and putting out a near nu-metal album and then were dropped like it was hot. Boy Sets Fire quickly resurfaced on Equal Vision with an album that included horns which no one really liked. Boy Sets Fire called it a day shortly after.
Don't fret though, Gray is back with The Casting Out and still singing about screaming and redemption or screaming for redemption. However, this time he's backed with some new people who happen to know how to write a really good head bopping rock song versus brooding melodic screamed/sung hardcore that Boy Sets Fire practically invented. Imagine Boy Sets Fire having a lot of fun with their songs. There isn't a song on Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! that I can't imagine Gray smiling during, even during slower tracks like "The Ebbing of the Tide."
So if anything Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! is a fun listen of memorable hooks and catchy choruses that you will get stunk in your skull for days on end. Boy Sets Fire also had a lot of memorable songs that suction cupped their way to your brain. However they were very angry, brooding, political, and overwrought with almost every emotion in the book. The Casting Out come at with songs that come off as more of a wink and smirk rather than a brow beating. Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! is good album filled with speedy near pop-punk moments that luckily doesn't get too goofy. If I had to classify The Casting Out as anything I would call them melodic hardcore for the over-thirty set that doesn't spend their time at shows stagediving anymore. Nope, we uhh, they now just stand in the back, laughing nostalgically at the kids moshing while bobbing their heads in time. Maybe they remember a time when a band could mean the world to them and possibly everyone else. By the way, I dare you not to clap along with "These Alterations," you won't be able to.
