Against the Wall

The Truth

Daniel J - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Jon – Bass, Backing Vocals
Rojas – Drums, Backing Vocals

             So special it is named twice. New York is home of an up and coming back called Against the Wall. The hard rock band with glimpses of melody and aggression might have the special mix to take over the air waves.  The debut album, The Truth, features 13 heavy hitting tracks and can be picked up now. It opens up with the lead single “Nights of December,” a blast of music that rushes at you at full speed like you are holding on to a football. The vocals come flying at you with a great crisp sound as the guitars soar and the horns are thrown into the air. The song opens the album just like you want it to, kicking your ass and getting you into the mood to rock out. the transitions are clean and the guitar solo will leave you craving more and screaming your head off. “I Wanna Live” slows the album down for the first time with a simple little number that will have the cell phones and lighters flying high into the air. There are several sections that are phenomenal, but there are also bits and pieces that sound a bit sloppy. The transitions are not as smooth as the lead track and the drum play doesn’t match up throughout the entire track. “Walk Away” stays slow with a passionate offering. the blended vocals add a special element to this track as the guitars soar and the drums lead the charge. They do a better job with the transitions getting back to the clean type. The vocals release the awesome lyrics for your ears to take them in. The song is a great effort. The title cut steps up next. “The Truth” starts off like its going to get back to the hard nose hitting that the lead track offered, but then throws a curveball at you and slows everything back down. They throw a lot at you and the middle section of the track will leave you in awe. The track itself is a great offering with a sweet groove and several spots where they step up and deliver bolstering vocals and drive drums. With that said though the album to this point is a bit disappointing after you have read the bio, but with 9 more tracks it has time to hit you with the aggressive sound it has promised. “This Is What I’m Waiting For” gets the ball rolling again although its not super aggressive its more than is predecessors. The vocal range is wider as well which enhances the normal range. The lyrical set of this track really makes the vocals pop. There are tracks that have awesome lyrics when you read them, but the vocals don’t do them justice and the same goes the other way around too. This track though the two work together making each better than them on their own. “Forever” slows the album down again with a heartfelt track that will melt the hearts of each and every girl. With lines like “There is no question that you are my only girl,” and “It’s clear that you’ve been gone one minute, but it feels like forever” the track digs deep within the soul and delivers an effort that will melt you. “Because of You” gets the engine revved up and the blood flowing. The chorus rips through leaving a path of destruction as the rest of the tune does the clean up work with catchy guitars and pounding drums. The guitar solo is awesome with an array of sounds that is hard to believe they are coming from a guitar. “Show Me” slows the pace down again with the big range vocals again as “The One” gives up a flair with attitude and awesome vocals that you can sing right along with. The guitars soar as the drums really hit home. Back to the vocals though, they are really clear and easy to follow. There are spots that they drag out the note a bit to long, but the backing vocals make up for that. “Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone” is the longest song on the album and provides a bit of funk along with the heavy hitting guitars and drums once they get down to business. The long intro is the first of its kind on here and I don’t think that they over do it at all. Its not a bad idea to have one of these from time to time to just get the blood flowing and the crowd moving. “All About You” slows the album down again vocally, but still maintains a semi-aggressive tone musically. They get moving pretty good with backing vocals coming in for a “Hey, Hey” and the lead reels off an impressive lyrical set. The music really keeps the track in check with guitars flying high and drums laying down the law. “Lost” is not entirely slow, but its slower than most of the album. the chorus of the song is great with awesome vocals flooding your eardrums and guitars ripping up the stage, flying high. “Alone” ends the album on a high note. It opens up with an awesome short intro then goes into what sounds like a voiceover. It would be a sweet way to open up a show getting the mouth watering of all those hungry metal heads out in the audience. Its an incredible track to round out a pretty sweet debut album. Overall this is a stellar debut album with all the trimmings. The high flying guitars will get your blood pumping as well as getting the air guitars out in full force. The drums drive the tracks home with a pounding style and some technical striking. The vocals really are the meat and potatoes of the album. They are most of the wow factor as they deliver some great vocals. The band writes extremely well in both aspects and I really can’t wait to see what is to come. A bit more time and we could be looking at the next big thing. The Truth has it all, brains, beauty, and hot chicks rocking their socks off.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

Nights of December, Because of You, Alone

Track List:

1. Nights of December
2. I Wanna Live
3. Walk Away
4. The Truth
5. This Is What I’m Waiting For
6. Forever
7. Because of You
8. Show Me
9. The One
10. Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone
11. All About You
12. Lost
13. Alone

Website (s):  www.myspace.com/atwband