20 years after their influential album “As Tradition Dies Slowly“captivated the world of politically charged metallic hardcore, Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s MORNING AGAIN have recently returned with their brand new EP “Survival Instinct” on Revelation Records. With current lineup consisting of vocalist Kevin Byers, guitarists John Wylie and Stephen Looker, bassist Gerardo Villarroel, and drummer Joshua Williams (ex-CULTURE), the new offering from Florida based veterans remains rooted in the elements that provided their genre’s foundations and easily stands to show why they have been leading worldwide metallic hardcore music scene years ago. We have teamed up with the band to give you the full track by track commentary, followed by our quick review from IDIOTEQ collaborator Eddie Cantú. Check it out below.
REINVENTOR
We wrote this song about the people who are more concerned with online status, influence and celebrity than they are with the actual world they live in. We chose to focus specifically on the ones so obsessed with themselves, that they will continually use anyone and anything to achieve any caliber of notoriety.
SUSINA
This song is about failed relationships. It’s not about one in particular, but a combination of a few and the feelings that came with them. The main focuses are the situations where you are rushed into feeling and the novelty is gone when you finally reciprocate….and the hell you catch sometimes, for trying to decipher anything about it.
BACKBITER
This is your classic anti-shit talker song. Anyone can relate. It’s about the jealous people that consistently talk about you when you’re not around, but for whatever reason try and maintain some sort of “friendship” to your face. Again, this isn’t about one person(s) in particular. It’s a large combination of that style of person, that should have better things to do at this point in their life.
OF ONESELF
This song is about how most of us no longer really pay attention to, or check in on each each other until it’s too late. And if we actually do, usually someone wants the attention or credit for doing so. (which really doesn’t make it about the person in need) This includes after the person has passed and we feel the need to be the first to lament about it publicly. A majority of the time, these posts are more about the author than the subject. I know everyone grieves differently and should be allowed to do whatever helps them process loss.. but I also think if we treated each other better now, maybe we wouldn’t lose the people we do.. and if and when we eventually do, we wouldn’t feel so awful when they’re gone because we’d spend the time with them that we wished we had. This song is obviously not applicable to every person and every situation. Just an observation.
« Review by IDIOTEQ contributor Eddie Cantú »
There’s nothing more nerve wrecking to a music fanatic, in my opinion; than to see the words: “Comeback album”, situated anywhere near the names of artists and bands that you love and respect. Why is that? Could it be because, initially, we don’t know what the motivations behind these abrupt resurrections are? Atop those reasons one also has to wonder if the musical chemistry has continued and replenished over those sleeping years, or festered as expired gruel. And, see, as an avid fan of The Stooges I think I can write from experience here. And the fact remains that comeback albums are… usually… not that great. Relatively speaking. Many a times the artists set gimmick-like impressions of their older selves and lean towards familiarity and formula, while other times it’s apparent just how different the writers and minds behind the music are now. But sometimes, and it happens less often that I’d like, a comeback record like “Survival Instinct” will be released and one can’t help but appreciate and embrace the natural progression of a band’s songwriting – especially after two decades of rest.
Being a fan of the 90’s Florida hardcore pioneers Morning Again in listening to this E.P. I can recognize the band’s style immediately but unlike many of their late 20th century extreme music contemporaries what differs in this record is how Modern it sounds. And that’s not something to take with caution either because the songwriting, and the attitude are ever so present during the 10 minutes of material. What I mean is that when I listen to this record, with the matter of production in mind alone, the band sounds young; as if this were their debut release. What I mean is that the chemistry seems to have flourished with Morning Again, and evidently with a 33 second song like track #4 “Backbiter” it seems that they are having fun with their musical style (aside from the doom-telling and forewarning themes that have always, and still continue to center the lyrical themes and message of the band).
Overall, I think that it’s great to hear a respected veteran band keeping up with the changes of genre and recording evolutions. I’d love to hear more material from these guys when the time is right. Maybe after their 2019 tour dates?
