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1919 Futurecide Review by Gary Hill Apparently this band was around for the first half of the 1980s. After breaking up in 85, they reformed in 2014. I can't say that I have heard of them until now. This new release is a real time capsule back to the best of 1980s music. This is new-wave, post punk with a real punky edge. Don't expect huge amounts of variety. Do expect some great music. They keep this concise (a little over half an hour). I think that's a good thing because it never wears out its welcome or feels redundant. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2019 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2019.

Track by Track Review

Anxiety A cool old-school punk sound opens this. The tune is driving and has some decidedly 80s trappings at its core. This feels very much like the kind of thing that would have been all over MTV in its hey-day. The tune is catchy and classy and real trip back in time.

Isolation This isn't a huge change, but it really doesn't need to be. There are some rather symphonic edges built into the tune. It's a powerhouse in terms of intensity and pace.

Futurecide I dig the prominent bass line on this tune. The cut has a bit more of a rock and roll vibe to it in some ways than the openers did. It's not a drastic change, though, but more a subtle flavoring. This feels a bit punkier than the first two songs, too.

Radicals I like the hooks on this cut. It's again not a major departure from what has come before. There is a decidedly punk like section, though, calling to mind more real punk than the new wave post punk kind of thing that dominates the disc.

Dali Alarma I love the charged up rhythm section. The edge of the guitar part is so cool, too. There is a bit of a mysterious texture to this cut. It's one of the highlights of the set.

Speak Now The sound of a needle in a groove opens this. Then some guitar comes in with a dark and heavy tone. The track builds out gradually from there. Before it really rises up some mostly spoken vocals come over the top. They eventually fire out into more of the kind of thing you expect, but this is one of the punkier tunes here with an almost metallic edge. It's also one of the highlights.

Aurora This is a solid slab of the exactly what you'd expect. While it's not a departure at all, it's an effective cut.

Man, Myth, and the Curse of the Immortal I love the guitar bit that sort of skirts around the outskirts of this tune. The rhythm section really drives this musically. It's a powerful cut with a lot of drama built into it. It's another highlight of the disc.

Stop the World I love the punky edge to this cut. It's another highlight without changing the format too dramatically. The drop back section is cool, and when they come back up it seems to have an added intensity.

Where Are You Now? This might be my favorite piece here. There is just a mean kind of vibe to it. This cut seems a bit more intense than the rest. It drops to a piano based section late that takes the album out in style.

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