Glassjaw
Worship And Tribute

THE REVIEW

After the debut of "Everything you know about silence," a decidedly raw and powerful album, the creature produced by the "Midas king" of that period (when Emocore was for the few...) namely Daryl Palumbo, returns.

Perhaps an overrated band, perhaps underrated, Glassjaw established themselves without bending to the classic rules of the music market by producing, as already mentioned, first a great album containing "Siberian Kiss" (a mix of anger and disappointment encapsulated in a song) and then the natural follow-up, "Worship And Tribute."

Always produced by Ross Robinson, who followed them from RoadRunner to Warner, the album is certainly less direct than the previous one and perhaps lacks spontaneity. Palumbo moderates his voice more, which remains nonetheless emotional and unique. Leaving comparisons aside (...which still must be made for the sake of record-keeping) "Worship And Tribute" opens with a song that could have easily been on the debut album. In fact, "Tip Your Bartender" is pure chaos. The follow-up goes to "Mu Empire" and the big single "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" with a very "catchy" chorus.

"Pink Roses" (truly beautiful) and the very aggressive "Stuck Pig" are the most powerful tracks of the album, strongly contrasting with two tracks that you would never have expected from Glassjaw. "Ape Dos Mil" (second single), an EMOtive and soft song, and "Must've Run All Day" even less guitar-driven than the other but rich with classy ideas. After about 3 minutes of punk-rock, "Radio Cambodia", the last two songs are truly fantastic. "Trailerpark Jesus" starts off calmly with a voice reminiscent in some ways of the lazier Brandon Boyd from Incubus, then maneuvers between ultra-hard guitars and well-pounded drums. Finally, in "Two Tabs of Mescaline" Palumbo also finds the time to talk about his illness (something he had never done), Crohn's disease.

A little curiosity about the album title is due to its birth: it was created in Palumbo's mind during adolescence, stemming from his passion for Japanese cult films of Godzilla, the true idol of the singer and described in his own words as a life example that helped him grow and mature, ambitious and powerful, just like the music of Glassjaw, ambitious to be able to move and powerful in sound. After only two albums and four years of silence, Glassjaw will return (it is unknown if there will be a new album), they will open for Deftones on their American tour, and hopefully also on the Milan date of Moreno's band.

Maybe one day the star of Glassjaw will shine again in the eyes of those who have loved them, of those who have felt emotions listening to Daryl's simple words, thanks to which the same eyes that saw the five leave the small neighborhood will once again fill with rage and tears, be moved and fall into despair.