Oh, the angst! On its sophomore set -- the all-too-aptly titled Transmit Disrupt – Hell Is For Heroes exorcises its demons with a nonstop torrent of verbosity and ferocity. Still, one can’t help but get the feeling that there’s precious little to substantiate all this ranting and wailing; it is, to paraphrase Shakespeare, a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Borrowing from the Bard might seem inappropriate when describing a hardcore combo, but then again, Hell Is For Heroes -- like a lot of emo outfits these days -- seems all too intent on spewing incessantly. “Kamichi,� “Models For The Programme,� and “Folded Paper Figure� are darkly disturbing, over-wrought and perhaps over-thought. Fortunately, there are a few precious moments of temporary respite – the acoustic textures that caress the title track, the undulating undercurrents of “Burning Lafayette� – but they don’t forestall the frenzy for very long. So while it may be hot in Hades, Hell Is For Heroes still needs to find the will to chill.
(Date of release: February 21, 2006)
