Part of what I dig about A HAPPY DEATH is that all the really bad recent musical movements and modern regurgitations (nu metal, 4th generation emo, screamo, etc.) appear to have had little influence on this group. This CD could have come out in the early 90’s and I mean that in the best possible way. I’m thinking of a time when the major labels were signing up acts of reasonable quality in vast quantities (FLAMING LIPS, COME, ELEVENTH DREAM DAY, MUDHONEY, NIRVANA, MORBID ANGEL, etc.). Nowadays, for every rarity of merit like THE DARKNESS and WOLFMOTHER you still have everlasting amounts of shitstains like NICKELBACK, LINKIN PARK, FALL OUT BOY (the absolute worst live performance I’ve ever had the displeasure of witnessing as a stagehand), etc.

This three piece band has alternating lead male and female vocals. I have no idea what their influences are but I hear early TSOL, HUSKER DU, JAWBREAKER, early SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES, BASTRO, RITES OF SPRING, EMBRACE, EGGHUNT and…well you get the idea. Post punk or post hardcore. Whatever. A Happy Death are the better butter churns of the batch. I’ll will putting the enclosed sticker on my hard-shell bass case just as soon as I get that sucker out of the pawn shop.

- Herring

OFFICIAL SITE: www.ahappydeath.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: Letter to the Dead

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