’68: Love is Ain’t Dead
Love is Ain’t Dead starts right off from the opening track with a noisy and interesting intro. This isn’t traditional heavy metal by any means. I’m not even sure if it’s metal at all, though it is certainly influenced by it. Featuring Josh Scogin (ex-Norma Jean, ex-The Chariot) on vocals, and musical collaborator Nikko Yamada, the band explores noise rock, hardcore and even the blues (through a noise rock lens). This short, but effective, digital-only EP was produced by Nick Raskulinecz who has worked with artists as diverse as the Foo Fighters, Rush, and Alice in Chains.
I don’t really know who plays what on the album, but their bio makes it very clear that they are strictly a 2-man band trying to make as much noise as possible. Yamada is the drummer, so does that mean Scogin plays everything else? I can’t be entirely sure. Further, I don’t have a copy of the lyrics either, so it’s difficult to offer any in-depth analysis of any sort. So other than Scogin’s previous connections to Christian bands, I can’t say much about whether the band has any kind of faith element, other than what I can pick up from a few cursory listens.
This is very well-produced rock and roll, but it will likely appeal more to fans of alternative rock/metal than to fans of any traditional forms of metal. It’s really good quality, and there are some occasional classic rock/metal vibes with the blues element happening, but it’s all filtered through contemporary sonics and added layers of fuzz and noise.
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