In a day when metal and hardcore has an endless litany of sub-genres
tagged on it left and right, Chicago, IL's ANGEL EYES effortlessly and
boldly defy genre classification and simple explanation. Midwestern, their
newest creation, is an album of moral indignation, a call to arms in a
declining economy. It's relatable to any of us that have struggled and fought
and clawed over these past few years only to end up having to struggle
harder in the end, with no end to the worrying in sight.
Apocalyptic in scope, Midwestern is a four part movement of brutal realism
that plays over in your head long after listening. The sounds resonate, the
lyrics and vocals disturb, and the intention is honest and personal. There's
still a comfort and hope in the unsettling atmosphere that the album
conjures up, however, because it is comforting to know that others feel this
way and we are not alone in the desolate struggle ahead. If you combine
the cathartic nature of mid-'90s hardcore acts such as His Hero Is Gone
and In/Humanity, with the contemporary sludge of Neurosis and the
atmospheric elements of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, toss in an
unhealthy, complete and utter obsession with Ennio Morricone's
soundtracks to the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns of the '60s & '70s (in
fact, the bands' name,"ANGEL EYES" is actually taken from the name of
Lee Van Cleef's totally badass character in "The Good, The Bad, and the
Ugly"), then you're starting to get an idea of what Midwestern sounds like.
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