Life Long Tragedy
Destined for Anything

Despite the hints of drama between the group's monicker and the album title in question, enough to evoke a trashosissimo Renato Pozzetto from the past with a compilation of "Eh la Madona", there are plenty of great things to say about this band of guys. Actually, no. Reset. Let's say kids who, for something like seven years, perhaps unconsciously or not, have made two decisive impacts on the recent hardcore scene. As in every good fairy tale, an environment is needed, and now, although I feel quite repetitive, it is necessary to mention the ever-present California. We are not in the Southern area this time, but Northern, specifically San Francisco. See two lines above where I corrected myself on the age reference? Well, I'll explain quickly. The Life Long Tragedy when they were born in 2001 at the behest of singer Scott Phillips were aged between 14 and 16. Scott was a freshman (first year) in high school. No, not college, you read that right: high school. And when this "Destined for Anything" comes out in 2004 for the This Blessing This Curse, the vocalist's age stops at 17. The rest of the quintet isn't much older, but Deathwish will quickly notice them after this debut and, needless to say, will help create that hardcore identity made up of Modern Life Is War and Killing The Dream.

Where do Life Long Tragedy win? Easy question to answer. In spontaneity, inspired by what surrounds them, with scenarios that closely resemble the metaphor of that solitary road immersed in the desert, guided by a certain naivety (in a positive sense) underlying a desperate and obsessive search for a change of direction, as if they feel something inside them is missing, an anxiety that squeezes and does not stop. A void to fill, to try to give their own interpretation to daily relationships and situations, where the sense of powerlessness devours opportunities and future. Yes, lyrically they are very naïve, but almost oxymoronically mature, we are not in the realm of fuck everything, fuck the world. It is obvious that the best method for Scott and his companions to let go is an exhilarating and adrenaline-pumping hardcore recipe, where there is indeed that melodic vein that brings them close to Have Heart, Bane and company, but where the power chords stand out brightly and sometimes overwhelmingly. Stop, I know what you're thinking, I agree with you, we're at the lezionen00bperfareunbelpezzo, but here in the fusion between harmonies and sharp rhythms, the latter tend to ignite more quickly, and in their scene, it is not so obvious. The bridges via are gang vocals, spoken word fleetingly and instinctively scattered here and there amid Scott's shouted anger. You can clearly feel the influence of hardcore made of healthy, old breakdowns, they owe it and do not hide it, managing, however, to embed them into broader vision solutions, making "Destined for Anything" fresher than it might otherwise appear. Okay, I refer you to Roll The Credits, a classic example of a simple hit that drags you down and causes its fair share of neck pain. Amen.

If I stop to think that this full-length is already 11 years old, I feel sick, it seems like just yesterday when I discovered "Runaways", the more intimate successor to this work, released in 2008 where the harsh melancholy gives more personality to Life Long Tragedy. It could be said that I met them posthumously since that year they would disband. A classic sudden break up, as there are many in the punk/screamo/whatever scene. What I will always remember is the impact that "Destined for Anything" had on me, with that half-hour of riffs designed and built on resignation and in both physical and mental torpor to be awakened by massive shards thrown at full speed ready to smash onto the asphalt. They have accompanied me (and still do) for years and years, and I think that's enough for the five stars. Life Long Tragedy will always be that refuge where you can remember the old days a bit and dive into pieces you know by heart, culminating in the nostalgic climax where you find yourself singing along with them: "Where will this road lead? It this our destiny? Right now, time stands still. This is all that I believe."