Schoolyard Heroes
Abominations
09.24.07

Schoolyard Heroes have done it again. Their 2007 release, "Abominations" brings back to the table everything their fans have come to know and love about the band. Driven by what has become their staple guitar riffs, crazy (we're talking the good kind of crazy, of course) operatic vocals, and horror-movie-esque themed lyrics, this record takes their previous standards up yet another notch. On first listen, I wasn't really sure how I felt about the album as a whole, but with each listen, the overall sound grew on me more and more. I found it to be lyrically baffling at times, but I've grown accustomed to that feeling whilst listening to their other records over the years and have grown to love their monster-ridden graveyard tunes.

Vocally, "Abominations" is everything I expected and more. Filled with catchy tunes about nightmares, graveyards, demons, and the like, Ryann's vocals couldn't possibly fit the sound/lyrics of the band better, and that has never been more evident than on this record in particular. Her operatic, over the top style meshes incredibly well with guitarist Steve Bonnell's riffs and creates an undeniably unique sound. There's definitely no mistaking any of these songs as being anything but Schoolyard, which is a quality hard to find among even good bands these days.

Above all, however, their biggest strength as a band, especially noticeable with this album is their ability to create songs that will get fans off their feet and jumping around at shows, reminiscent of the very same monsters and demons they're singing along about. Songs like "Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame", "Violence Is All The Rage", and "Razorblade Kisses" are guaranteed to get crowds of loyal Schoolyard followers bouncing about like veritable lunatics. I've even found myself leaping about on my computer chair a few times while writing this.

"Abominations" is such a solid album overall that I really find it hard to say anything negative about it. Lyrically, it's not exactly the most thought-inspiring album ever made, however, any other style of lyrics would just sound absurd with their signature sound. There were a couple times though, especially during my first few listens, that certain songs began to feel a bit redundant, but upon listening more, that feeling wore off. Essentially, this record (to me) was like a new pair of shoes. It takes a little bit to break them in, but after a while it starts to feel like a perfect fit.

by and large, the most impressive thing about this album in particular was their ability to tell stories not only with their lyrics, but with their music as well. Each song seems to have been carefully constructed so that the vocals, guitar, bass, and drums all paint a perfect musical picture of each song. In its entirety, it contains basically the same thematic elements as their previous work, but seemed to fit together much better in this aspect. Essentially, "Abominations" will keep old Schoolyard Heroes fans more than content, as well as likely making quite a few more as well. A solid effort throughout.

Reviewed by: Brian Anderson