Brother's Keeper

It's not a good sign when it's nigh on impossible to distinguish the first 11 songs of an 11-track record. Neither is it a good thing when a band ditches its most distinguishing elements and ends up blending into the crowd. Sure, many of us laughed at Mike Ski's high-pitched crawing and baying on past Brother's Keeper works, but it was one of the things that gave the band an identity. Now, Ski sounds like half-a-million other hardcore singers and it's a shame that after five years between full-lengths all the band could come up with musically was a tribute to Snapcase. There are some interesting lyrical concepts and passages to be found within, namely "I Shot JFK," "Dismantling the Icon," "Worst Spot in the Van" and "The Proverbial 'They,'" but when the lyrics surpass the musical quality, it's time to pick up a book.