NEVEA TEARS

"DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHY I LOVE YOU?"
(Century Media - CD 99048-2)

LP REVIEW

01. WHO WOULD BE TOM SELLECK? (2:33)
02.
HELIUM QUEEN (4:20)
03. JOHNNY CASH V THE SPACE
COYOTE
(4:40)
04. TODAY CAKE, TOMORROW
SPRAYING FOR ROACHES
(2:39)
05. HEAVY BREATHING (4:22)
06. XIAOYU 74 (3:46)
07. BELLENDAINE (3:41)
08. ACT 1; SCENE 1 (3:44)
09. NO ONE EVER SHUTS UP! (4:13)
10. IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH (7:47)

 

NEVEA TEARS "Do I Have To Tell You Why I Love You?" LP

Length:  41:49 (min:secs)
Released: 24th January, 2005
on CENTURY MEDIA

www.neveatears.com
neveatears@yahoo.com

 

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Nevea Tears are a six-piece southern Californian band and here they present their debut album, which is entitled "Do I Have To Tell You Why I Love You?”.  Now with a band name and an album title such as those you would be forgiven for thinking this is another walk down the well trodden emo lane - but you would be mistaken. While they’re not shy in expressing an emotional side to their music, they are far from being one dimensional and manage to take an impressive screaming hardcore sound and combine it with expressive melodic vocals, considered keyboards and electronic beats.

Going straight for the throat “Who Would Be Tom Selleck?” belts out some unremitting heads down metal but always with restrain and it never gets any more out of control than with this song- well actually it does slightly with “Act 1; Scene 1”. “Helium Queen” is an excellent balance of awesome pile-driving heaviness, blended with majestic melody in a chorus that gets the goose bumps erupting all over the place. “Johnny Cash V the Space Coyote” keeps the melody tainted with abundant throat shredding and follows with raised intensity for “Today Cake, Tomorrow Spraying for Roaches”.

There are some nice delicate moments of aural detail, moments where pictures are painted and atmosphere is crafted.  The instrumental “Xiaoyu 74” is a good example of this and gives a great lesson in how to layer sounds for effect. “No One Ever Shuts Up!” is another that sees gently shimmering pools of fog shrouded water untimely disturbed by the screams of murder. The poignant “Heavy Breathing” plants bluebells over a landscape of concrete and barbed-wire, where forests once stood. “Bellendaine” presents a darkness that jostles with compassion in a ‘Jekyll and Hide’ of a song. Finally, “In Sickness and In Health” builds up to epic proportions and plays out the album to the thought provoking notes of a piano.

Nevea Tears have developed a great sound of fused styles that are not only well balanced but also incredibly pleasing - kind of like Underoath narrated by Brian Eno. A highly recommended album that grows and grows and it’s hard to believe that this is their debut.

12345678910 - Rigsby  (2nd February, 2005)
www.iwillbeheard.co.uk

Line-up:  Vocals: John Morello  - Guitars & Vocals: Greg Gillis  - Bass: Dom Gomez  - Drums: Amber Barnard  - Keyboards: Jeff Metajan - Guitar: Brent Doan