Taken

And They Slept (2001)

TheSunHasSetOnEmo20

Like most individuals my taste in music has evolved with my age. At a very young age back in 1992-1994, I became swept by the 'grunge' scene, later my spirits were captured by what I will label (disdainfully) New Punk. For a long time now I have been emotionally drawn to indie rock or what most would call ‘emo', not to come off as totally cliché but it's the aging. In this day and age the term ‘emo' is loosely thrown around to pretty much define any post-hardcore indie rock band that has/will produce a CD. I would consider my self anything but a trend setter, however more than that… I hate to be trendy. I'm not one of those people who define themselves by their music or through their clothes, but one thing about trends is that they end. And fellow listeners, the sun has set on emo. It's the new trend, its popular, and its ‘sweeping the continent'. Must I cite new pop classics like Jimmy Eat World – The Middle? Moving on, this new trend has left me feeling rather empty, so about a year ago I began to dabble in hardcore, post-hardcore… whatever you want to label it. Unbelievably more talented than ‘new metal', way less cock than cock-rock, and lyrics that would draw a tear as quick as any Pedro The Lion song.

Now that we're up to speed on ‘post-hardcore', this brings me to the band TAKEN. Taken hails from Orange County, CA, and has been on the scene since 1997. A friend of mine gave me Taken's new LP And They Slept. I would like to think I am a man of discriminating musical taste, so when I say that And They Slept is one of the best collections of songs I have ever heard, I mean this is one freaking fantastic LP. The band's vocalist screams with a sincerity and sense of desperation that seems to tug at the listener's soul, following that up with one of the most original melodic styles I have ever heard on a hardcore cd. The guitar work and drums…. astonishing… I could continue to talk this band up, but none will be able to comprehend until they listen to the disc for themselves. And They Slept opens up strong with the powerful track ‘Never An Answer', which sets the mood very well. Taken brings the CD to an ultra sad note with ‘Beauty In Dead Flowers', a super ‘emo' piano track, and even brings hardcore to a new level with a clap track on song 7 ‘Overused History' giving the song an upbeat almost (I)NC feel. I ask all indie rock (emo), post-hardcore or hardcore listeners to go out and get Taken - And They Slept. There is something out there for those of us who now find it hard to identify with the "emo" scene, and it's TAKEN.