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An End to October is a young, unsigned outfit from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The band plays a style that is not exactly what you might think of when you consider bands coming from the Deep South area of the United States. So no you aren’t going to find southern rock or any sludge metal on their debut, Dividing The Tide, but you will find a very interesting atmospheric rock record. The band compares themselves to such others as Refused, Faith No More, Isis, and At-The Drive Thru. Now perplexing as it may be to figure out what that combination may sound like, it is safe to say An End to October plays an experimental style which takes into account many of the attributes of the aforementioned artists. All comparisons aside though, the band does have an original product on their hands with the core sound centering on ambient passages, mix of hard core & clean singing, along with some exceptional keyboard work.
Dividing The Tide appears to be concept album about a battleship on the open seas. The music tells the story as peril and adventure are encountered on the voyage. So while there are in total nine full songs on this disc, these all flow right into one another, and in actuality it can really be viewed as one long song. The music itself contains similar themes as it progresses on and builds off the past melodies with some of these reoccurring throughout the story. Now this phenomenon is not something we haven’t seen before and can prove to be a total snoozefest if the music does not keep you entertained the whole time. Fortunately in this situation, it works. I found myself buying into the whole concept, (some of these neat keyboard passages really make you feel like you are on an open sea) There are lapses but not many of them, and the diversity of the music has a way of keeping you on your toes. The number one thing this group of young musicians seems to have going for them is their creativity, and it really shows on this record, as you can hear different moments of hard rock, progressive rock, indie rock, and metalcore. While this may not be a headbangers wet dream, there are still some heavier moments along with some tranquil ones as well. Truly this is the sound of a young, ambitious band brimming with ideas from bands they grew up listening to. With that being the case you might think the final product would be disorganized or jumbled but as a whole Dividing The Tide is balanced, engrossing, and worthy of both your time and ears. It is somewhat puzzling that these are not yet home to a label, and I gotta think it’s just a matter of time. For an End to October, this maiden voyage is a good one.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Virus Bay |
| 2. Setting Sail |
| 3. Mutiny |
| 4. The Malady Sea |
| 5. S O S |
| 6. Are The Waves |
| 7. Besieged |
| 8. White Flags |
| 9. Marina |
: 46.19
| Buy other An End To October albums |
