REVIEW: Both Worlds, Memory Rendered Visible (Roadrunner)
- Sean Eric McGill
When I first took a look at Both World's Memory Rendered Visible, visions of Rage Against the Machine danced in my head. I don't know why, really - they just did. Perhaps it was the song titles, catchy little phrases like "Free Speech (Will Cost You)" and "Hate Mantra". So I sat down and gave it a listen...which leads to the good news and the bad news...
First, the good news: Both Worlds are nothing like Rage Against the Machine. You know this from the first bars of the album opener "Cornered". Sure, it's got that thick bass groove through the verse and the lyrics are delivered in more of a shout than anything else - but Both Worlds bring something different to what looks to be a tired execution on paper - true heart.
Memory Rendered Visible isn't an album based on following whatever trend is hot right now, it about doing what the band members believe in. And while a song like "Hate Mantra" does recall Soundgarden to a certain extent (and not just any Soundgarden, but pre-Badmotorfinger Soundgarden), it still carries the heart of Both Worlds with it. And the same goes for every song on the album. Even "Militant", which isn't one of my personal favorites is as good as any other hard rock song I've heard this year.
Oh yeah...the bad news. One can only assume listening to Memory Rendered Visible that Both Worlds puts on one helluva live show. But, if you don't happen to live around the upper east coast of the U.S., you might not see it for awhile. This is where I could do a shameless plug for the magazine and tell you to keep reading Consumable and we'll have the dates for you as soon as they're available...but I'm above that - really, I am...
