Richmond, Virginia has a lush history when it comes to hardcore bands over the last fifteen years. From Avail to Count Me Out, and as of late Municipal Waste and Stop It!!!, Richmond has always been fertile ground for young hardcore bands. On this split seven inch, two of Richmond's more stylistically diverse bands, The Setup and Wow, Owls! put together a solid split 7".
Coming off two split releases in the last year, a CD with Schematic of a Waking Life and a 7" with Back When, The Setup's single track doesn't carry the intensity that the songs on their prior releases did. "My T-Shirt has Something Important to Say" (Neil Perry anyone?) comes out of the gates with the same riff-heavy, metal-tinged hardcore feeling that their other records have, but the song doesn't stray very far from the driving two-step beat that runs throughout the song. At times the track delves into thicker and slower riffs but generally leaves you wanting something less static and more like the songs that appeared on the split with Back When. The track still comes off better than many bands playing fast metallic hardcore these days and with an intensity that can match anyone.
On the b-side we tune the guitars back to C and join Wow, Owls! for two tracks. From seeing Wow, Owls! first show ever in a dusty Richmond cellar, it's safe to say that they've come a long way. Flying the ex-Light the Fuse and Run flag visible enough for us to see, it's no surprise that Wow, Owls! still play in the vein of Light the Fuse and Run's rock-tinged hardcore, but slightly more melodic and with less finger pointing. The first song on the their side "Hissy Fits and Temper Tantrums" is a mid-tempo track from the get-go and fueled by the vocals of Jeff Byers, who guides the song with his short bursts of sung-screamed vocals. Guitarists Brandon Peck and John Hall make their way through extremely emotive and creative guitar work that is held together tightly by the rhythm section of Tyler Worley and Brian Turk on bass and drums respectively. The sing-along chorus at the end of "Hissy Fits and Temper Tantrums" seems like overkill as the lyrics fall into the trend of sentimentalist hardcore bands. Their second song "Cole Hutchison: 1982-2012" is the weaker track off their side and is more straightforward rock with less starts and stops than "Hissy Fits and Temper Tantrums."
For a split 7" this record is a great landmark showcasing where both bands are headed. Also, the artwork and layout for this record is phenomenal; the cover folds out into the trunk of an elephant, which seems like a first to me. This record is one of the most solid split 7" to come out in months. If you're a fan of Virginia's previous hardcore output, this record is definitely worth checking out.
