Brandtson, Camber, Seven Storey – Split

Deep Elm Records have just released their 3rd split release. This time it features 6 songs from Deep Elm veteran bands: Brandtson, Camber and Seven Storey. All three bring something new and entertaining to the table, combining the best of emo, punk and soft rock into three different sounds separated into 6 different tracks.

The first thing you notice with this CD is that there is only one track by Brandtson. That is a slight disappointment since they are the best band of the three on the split. “Dead Animals” is the track which they supplied to the album and it isn’t one of the best songs the band have produced. The drums are very constant and heavy during the most part of the track with the vocal harmonies just above them. It is not one of their better songs as it takes quite a few listens to until you absorb the full power of the song, and you need to be in the right state of mind to really get it all. Camber supply the middle three songs with “Dealt”, “I Could Not Care Less” and “Goodbye Mr. Spalding”. They are a more harsher band then the first with heavy bass riffs and somewhat scratchy vocals. The songs are not nearly as melodic as the first band but still display some melodic power during the key moments of each track. The final two track come courtesy of Seven Storey. Lance Lammers seem to have taken a different road then the other bands on the split, playing with a sound which is geared mostly to the used of powerfully driven guitar riffs and bass melodies. The vocals are once again somewhat harsh but do go in harmony with the harder musical melodies.

Overall, this split could be a bit better, maybe another track or two by Brandtson would make it really worth your money. It is a nice little album to add to your collection, but there are some other releases which your money would be better spent on.