None More Black – This Is Satire

I remember when None More Black released File Under Black back in 2003. I listened to it as I played some basketball outside getting ready for a tournament or something like that (back then I used to actually not be a lazy ass). I enjoyed it, but not a whole lot, never really listened to it a whole lot and forgot about the band except for the odd compilation here and there. But as times go by, things change. I’m now lazy as hell and never play basketball, and I can’t stop listening to This Is Satire, None More Black‘s follow up to File Under Black.

It’s not that they changed a lot, because they haven’t. But in the last three years, my tastes have changed, and I now see the skill behind None More Black that flew right by me three summers ago. First and foremost, I now see Jason Shevchuk’s vocals more vivid then before – they are amazing. Gruff and rough with an inert passion that doesn’t require whining or screaming. They are worn and harsh, nearly incomprehensible without the lyric booklet in front of you and suit the music perfectly. The music seems to be more layered then before, with distorted guitars and solid bass lines. There’s no outstanding solos or breakouts, instead they all work together for one solid set instead of little chunks here and there.

I now see the metaphors swimming amongst the lyrics that swam past my lazy eyes before. Some are more direct and simple like “I’ve got this guitar and a pocket full of friends. It’s worth more than I can ever spend” from Who Crosses State Lines Without A Shirt? While other times its more complex like “How the hell could you read a paper. Probably headlines of fuel, while the government’s putting all the red tape down. Wake up, I just woke up. The revolution won’t be televised, ’caused it’s in the morning drive” (My Wallpaper Looks Like Paint). They sing of life, the bad side of business, friends, our decisions and most importantly, the power of music (I’m counting on the music to get me through the day, I’m counting on the anti-histamine so I can breathe – Under My Feet).

It’s not the most memorable CD, but I’m sure I’ll pull this out and play it a lot over the next few months. I should probably pull out File Under Black too, so I can pick up on all the things I missed before.