August Ruins - The Ghost and The Gasoline

 

This is my second feature on a band from American label From the Depths Entertainment, as I've already featured Austrian band Almost Failed. This time it's the turn of Pittsburgh punk band August Ruins.They formed in early 2009 and have since recorded a demo and this record - The Ghost and the Gasoline.

August Ruins are - Mike Sebula on Bass Guitar and Lead Vocals, Eric Sebula on Lead Guitar and/ Vocals, Reggie Little on Rhythm Guitar and Vocals and Kory Caldarelli on Drums.

So to their EP The Ghost and The Gasoline. They kick off with Forfiet and Deny and it starts of with galloping drums and a sound that is inspired by the likes of Billy Talent and brings to mind latter Goldfinger.They have cool riffs and solos which add a lot to the music and the band play with a heft that shows they are influenced by more than just pop punk.

Bleed with me is played with great energy, which I can see many a fan pogoing to in sweaty clubs. Again it's really melodic and has a hint of early Offspring to it. The effects used in the vocals on the song add some bite to the song and the vocals have a gritty edge to them, all the while held together by great instrumentation. Don't turn away is another great pop-punk song. It's polished but sympathetic production keeping the listener hooked and interested. The structure is good and it brings to mind a lot of the bands from the late 90's early 00's. This is slightly slower than some of the songs on the record but it shows a slightly different side to August Ruins, which shows they could become a great prospect amongst the raft of pop-punk bands coming out of the US at the moment.

Our Endless War starts off as the title suggest, with an urgency that shows the band
mean business. This brings the pace back up after the previous song and shows a slightly more metal side to the band. I can traces of Rancid and bands of that ilk in the song, which is a welcome change, and shows they are not trying to be too commercial. Their fifth track is an instrumental which again sound more metallic and meaty. The twin guitars in the song are a great touch, cause after all, we all love a bit of melody. Final track What you don't know is the last chance for August Ruins to show you what they're all about and they use the opportunity well. It is a final slab of gritty. melodic punk. More driving guitars, all held down by the rhythm section. Some nice bluesy guitar touches as well, bring in variation and add an extra string to their bow.

It's great to here a band playing punk for a change and not trying to be all emo or macho. They are playing music that they want to play that they would listen too as fans. The production is clean and clear, which allows each individual instrument place to breath and be heard, which adds depth to the record. If you want to listen to something during the summer months to bring your spirits up after the long hard winter, you could do a lot worse than checking out August Ruins.

If you want to check out August Ruins, you can do so at their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/augustruins, their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/augustruins and you can listen to their songs at http://www.purevolume.com/augustruins or http://soundcloud.com/ftdentertainment/sets/august-ruins-the-ghost-and-the-gasoline/.

Also if you want to check out their record label and the other bands on it, go to http://www.facebook.com/fromthedepthsentertainment and check out their blog at http://fromthedepthsent.blogspot.com.