Album Details

• Artist: Paint It Black
• Album: New Lexicon
• Label: Jade Tree
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: digitalbath on 2008-03-03

Media

Looking at the track listing for Paint it Black's newest 2007 release, New Lexicon, I was a bit apprehensive.  First of all, they are a punk band, which I'm typically not a fan of.  Second of all, the longest track on the album is 3 minutes and 22 seconds accompanied by many one minute and two minute songs.  I put my initial bias aside and started listening to the album and have to say that I was thoroughly impressed.  This band has done what many punk bands have not.  The vocals are harsh, and not in the typical punk-call-to-arms way.  They are harsh as in Dan Yemin could be singing for a hardcore band.  Also, though I feel that the length of the songs may be because they couldn't elaborate on the riffs they wrote up, it is for the best because this album definitely doesn't beat around the bush.

Track by track mentions aren't even necessary with this album.  As I was reading some of the lyrics, I hadn't even realized that I had just listened to three songs in what seemed like a split second.  All of the songs kind of blend together.  The drums stick to a typical punk off-beat-snare sound while the guitars take on a bit of a harder and tighter sound that most punk bands don't carry.  There was no frenzy of "play this chord as fast as you can, play the next chord as fast as you can."  The instrumentation was refined and clearly thought out.  The lyrics were refreshing as well.  They were pretty vague but Yemin's rhetoric is impeccable.

Paint it Black's New Lexicon makes for a very different punk album.  The album is a mash-up of punk rock, hardcore, and a bit of industrial at some points all wrapped into one.  I've got to say that I can see this album getting repeat listens in my music library. 

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-03-05 joechuck_norris Said:

Paint It Black comes strong and consistent. I really enjoy it too. I got it at the same time I got Gallows, so they go hand in hand now for me. I didn't realize how hungry I was for punk/hardcore until these two bands reminded me.
Rating: 7/10