I didn't really ask much for the recently passed Christmas. I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I have enough already, and would rather have my parents spend money on themselves. Regardless, they made me ask for at least a couple things. And I did. And I got them. And I'm happy. But that got me to thinking about some of the more intangible things I should be thankful for having. One of those is my job here at Punknews, which affords me the opportunity to hear of so many small and deserving bands I'd never otherwise catch wind of.

Bands like A Lifeless Alliance. Bands that fit right into the mold of bigger acts like Crime in Stereo, No Trigger, and Strike Anywhere. They're not quite as talented, and certainly not yet as refined as any of those, but the enthusiasm a band like this brims with is something special, and something I hope is able to carry them far into a career in this scene.

That said, while enthusiasm is their main selling point, they do bring a fair amount of other favorable elements to their music. The guitars are constantly buzzing. Every solitary minute of the 20 found on this EP is full of hard-hitting riffs and undeniably catchy rhythms. While only a three-piece, the combination of guitar and bass fuels every song with such vigor that it's near impossible to be swept right up into it. No, they're not going to wow you with speed or technicality, but they do know their strengths, and as far as I'm concerned that's a hell of a lot more valuable than being able to play two hundred miles an hour.

Equally important are the vocals on the record. This is the element that would draw the strongest comparison to a band like No Trigger, as everything from the sound to the shout-alongs is mirrored on a record like Canyoneer. That does not take away from A Lifeless Alliance, however, only served to establish a basis of comparison. And one listen to "Salute You" will validate those comparisons and then some, as behind every rise and peak of the chord progressions, there's a well timed "woah-oh" or escalation in vocal intensity, perfectly representing in one song just what this young band is all about.

I see great things for this band down the line if they just keep up at what they're doing. They have the energy, and the polish will come, it's just a question of whether or not they and those listening will have the patience to let all the pieces fall into place.