Hawthorne Heights
The Silence In Black And White

THE REVIEW

First of all, I wanted to warn all those who are looking for a bit of originality in what they listen to, that they can easily forget the name Hawthorne Heights and close this web page. The Canadian quintet (3 guitars, a bassist, and a drummer) has packed in this debut CD 11 tracks of good Emo-Rock/Screamo Pop, with the only (you decide how serious) flaw of sounding terribly familiar, and all resembling each other. This is because Hawthorne Heights always use the same formula when writing songs, so much so that it is extremely easy to understand when the next guitar or "scream" will strike.

Technically speaking, Hawthorne Heights aren't bad. Although the drums and bass are absolutely nothing exceptional, at least the guitars are very pleasant, both when they play "ultra clean" and when distorted in the more aggressive moments of the album. To raise the group's average, there's the singer JT Woodruff, who handles himself excellently both in the screaming (although it does seem a bit like he is vomiting) and (especially) in normal singing. In short: those who hate Emo music or commercial stuff, keep away from this album. Those who appreciate the genre and do not have particular demands in terms of originality, should at least give this CD a chance, who knows, Hawthorne Heights might find a way into your heart... in any case, you should first go through Silverstein.

If you are fans of the new Emo/Screamo wave, buy this album at any cost. You'll listen to it endlessly and it will never bore you, "Ohio Is For Lovers" will most likely become your new favorite song and by the tenth listen, when you start noticing that there are differences even among the other 10 songs, your love for the band will become such that you will be ready even for a dud like "If Only You Were Lonely" (their next album released a couple of months ago).