An unbelievably awesome band indeed, Comeback Kid has taken the hardcore scene by storm and it shows; not only for the on-looking fan, but also by their peers in other bands. Comeback Kid recently played at the ICC Church in Allston on March 5 along with Silent Drive, With Honor, and hardcore legends Bane. Even though Bane headlined the bill, Comeback Kid undoubtedly owned the show. From the first chord to the echoing reverb on the amps, the crowd was going completely insane. Aaron from Bane even said that they’re presently the most popular band in hardcore.
With the release of their new record Wake the Dead, Comeback Kid has rekindled the flame felt from their first release, 2003’s Turn it Around. A CD with fast energetic hardcore that gets the blood boiling and the flesh crawling with the urge just to get up and punch walls. After Comeback Kid’s set I had a chance to ask Scott, lead singer, about the crowd and the new CD. He said the crowd was alive and that the Boston shows are always awesome, that the Boston hardcore scene is flourishing and more alive than ever. As he talked on about how he loved the way they were received by Boston fans, I asked him about the new album. The title is Wake the Dead, and so I posed the question: why name the CD “Wake the Dead”? Were they trying to portray a certain overall message with this record?
Scott then said that Wake the Dead is his own personal realization that his friends and peers are becoming more and more hopeless. That in their teenage years they were filled with hope and ambition, but then as they hit their twenties they were pent up with feelings of being forlorn, that their lives had become vacant of any motivation to pursue their dreams. Scott said if there is an overall theme to the record, it’s an outcry to this dilemma. The lyrics of “Our Distance” portray this image, “I think I’m failing/ I think I’m failing inside/ So, is this story over/ Or has it just begun/ You can only wonder.” With those words of Scott, this CD might not be as harsh for the first few tracks, but the message is even stronger.
Upon first listening to the record I thought they had tried to become a little more mainstream. This is all nullified with the breakdown on the title track. It makes me wish I was still in the pit listening to Scott belt out lyrics, Andrew and Jeremy laying down punishing guitar riffs, Kevin with his hypnotizing bass lines, and Kyle, well let me just say I am a drummer and Kyle is my model for drumming ability. The record is one continuous pulse that is an airborne disease, infecting whoever listens. Comeback Kid has an energy that jumps off of the album.
The only way I can explain it is to illustrate the image of Scott screaming lyrics, while holding the microphone to all the kids encompassing him. As I looked up I saw someone jump and land directly on his shoulder and then jump back off as if he were a chair. After he lifted his eyes to the kids around him I noticed the purest smile I have ever seen. It is completely obvious that Comeback Kid is not a band that is climbing the popularity ladder out of some mechanical nature. They just love music and what they contribute to the scene. That smile showed me that this band has so much to offer.
Go pick up Wake the Dead by Comeback Kid. Comeback Kid is currently on tour with Bane, With Honor, and Silent Drive. Check out their website, www.comeback-kid.com for more details.