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This is Deep Elm's second installment of their split CD series, and it took me forever to realize what their first one was - the Appleseed Cast/Planes Mistaken For Stars/Racecar Riot split that came out over three years ago. Kind of a lull in the split CD idea, but Deep Elm seems to be kicking the program back into gear with this release, as well as a Seven Story/Camber split due out sometime next year. But enough about the history, onto the CD itself.

Both Red Animal War and Slowride reside in Dallas, Texas, which is the theme of this split EP. The artwork, to be honest, gives me the creeps - it's all black and white images from the Kennedy assassination. The CD itself even has a sketch of the supposed "lone gunman" poised with a sniper rifle. Eerie, to say the least. Does the music back up the imagery?

Well, Red Animal War's does, at least. This band's style of hard-driven, rhythmic post-emo [if you will], gets better and better with each song. "77" is an intense tribal beat layered with repetitive guitars and harshly spat out lyrics. This song sounds like it would be a blast to play, or to see live as an audience member. Powerful stuff. Their other two contributions, "The Electric Kings," and "Modus Operandi" are more of the same, yet all three are uniquely different. RAW definitely has a grasp on their sound, and they have honed it with these three tracks.

Slowride, on the other hand, feels out of place on this CD. The layout is so somber, that the band's style of Jawbreaker-esque pop punk seems to contrast the mood set by Red Animal War. "Jesus Candle" is a really catchy song, but following RAW's "77" it just lacks something. The same happens with Slowride's other two songs on the CD - alone, they're pretty good, but since each one follows a RAW track, they pale in comparison.

This split CD, like most split CDs, has a winner and a loser - Red Animal War definitely takes home the trophy in this case. Slowride isn't neccessarily a loser - on the contrary, I'm a big fan of them. Their participation in this split, however, just seems awkward, and I feel like Red Animal War could have been matched with a band more suited to them.

But what do I know, I'm just a reviewer.



People who liked this also liked:
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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 12:18 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    p.s. the track MODUS OPERANDI isn't by slowride it's by RED ANIMAL WAR

    DEF JUX baby

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 9:10 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    THIS ISN'T CANADIAN MUSIC

    aha...SLOWRIDE gets shown up on this split, their songs aren't bad but RED ANIMAL WAR just outshines them...holy shit these guys are mad hot. MODUS OPERANDI and 77 are just plain good tracks that you'll find yourself rewinding quite a few times

    DEF JUX baby

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 14, 2002 at 5:32 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    POOP ON A PLATE!!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 11, 2002 at 3:52 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Red Animal War play in Kansas City the day before my birthday. I wish I could go.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 8:54 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Slowride is awesome! Dan's guitar playing in Rev. Horton Heat was amazing, as is Steve's drumming in the Queers (and Darlington for that matter).

    Their Eniac split 7 inch is better basically because Eniac and Slowride are a better match sound/lyric wise, even though they only put one song each on it.

    RAW and Slowride share a practice space, so i'm guessing that and the fact that they share a label led to this.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 7:39 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Presidents bullet ridden body in the street
    ride, johnny, ride
    kennedy's shattered head hits concrete
    ride, johnny, ride

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 7:00 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Deep Elm bands never get the respect that they deserve...Red Animal War being the perfect example. Slowride, while yes being quite the Jawbreaker rip off make a very solid to RAW's yang on the split. Quite the quality release if ya ask me.
    -tbones

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 1:56 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    perfect review, raw is amazing--emptycauses

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 12:00 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    RED ANIMAL WAR
    DEC 05 - Fayetteville, AR @ The Firebird, 2147 North College Avenue (479) 871-7004, AA, 8PM
    DEC 06 - Kansas City, MO @ The Hurricane
    DEC 07 - Warrensburg, MO @ The Setlist, 130 West Pine Street (660) 429-5483, 19 , 8:30PM w/ Dipt, I Share The Dream
    DEC 08 - NEED SHOW - IA, IL, IN, KY
    DEC 09 - Chicago, IL
    DEC 10 - Milford, OH @ Eastside Venue, 5857 Highview Drive (513) 831-4373, AA, 6PM w/ Fontane
    DEC 11 - Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head Club w/ SandWhich Is
    DEC 12 - Cambridge, MA
    DEC 13 - Albany, NY
    DEC 14 - NEED SHOW - DC, MD, VA
    DEC 15 - Carborro, NC @ Go Studios, 100-F Brewer Lane (919) 969-1400, AA, 8:30PM
    DEC 16 - Orlando, FL @ BackBooth, 37 West Pine Street (407) 353-6520, 18 , 9PM w/ Michigan Winter, Silent Treatment
    DEC 17 - Valdosta, GA
    DEC 18 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Ichabods, 136 West Chimes Street (225) 381-3118, 18 , 7PM w/ Fontane, Human Record
    DEC 19 - Austin, TX @ Flamingo Cantina, 515 East Sixth Street, (512) 494-9336, 18 , 7PM
    DEC 20 - Fort Worth, TX @ Wreck Room, 3208 West 7th St (817) 348-8303, 17 , 9:30PM w/ Burden Bros, Fontane, Tendril

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 11:57 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    slowride just came here i believe, i don't think i've ever seen any ads for a red animal war show though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 2:53 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Do these bands actually play local shows? Granted i've been out of town for 2 years off/on for school but I've never seen either of them on any bills. Either way Deep Elm Records does a piss poor job of promoting their bands... Brandston should have been huge by now, picked up that whole 'emo' thing at the right time and where are they now?

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 9, 2002 at 1:19 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Am I the only one who doesn't like Red Animal War?

    Nevermind...don't answer that.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 8, 2002 at 6:59 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    don't compare slowride to the foo fighters eww

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 8, 2002 at 6:55 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    the split botch was started bitchez!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 8, 2002 at 4:57 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    holy shit slowride sounds exactly like the foo fighters!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 8, 2002 at 4:55 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    texas is the best.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 8, 2002 at 3:52 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    red animal war is one of the best bands i've ever heard.

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