Paint It Black

Dan Yemin is the only man in punk rock whose bands get louder and faster with age. As the guitarist in hardcore legends Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, Yemin has been known for bringing a keen sense of melody to even the heaviest hitting of his songs. Kid Dynamite was certainly a little faster and angrier than Lifetime; but then along came Paint It Black, formed from the ashes of Kid Dynamite and the result of Yemin’s recent brush with death and subsequent renewed desire to make music. Yes, Paint It Black are still more brutal than anything Yemin has done before on this, their second release. After the well received CVA, the band have made a few changes. First of all, there’s a little bit of melody sneaking in there again. Tracks like the methodical "Panic” clock in at close to two minutes — eons by old Paint It Black standards. But the band has lost none of its edge, as the brilliant riffage of "Pink Slip” demonstrates. Rather than create the same record, it is clear that the band have made the decision to expand their horizons, and while indications that the record would involve "shoegazer parts” have proved bogus, Paradise is a step into adventurous sonic waters for a band whose members are probably more than willing to go for a swim.