Paper + Plastick – Release Date: 7/12/11

Landmines formed in 2005 and hails from Richmond, Virginia. They play punk-influenced hardcore and consequently comparisons are often made to hometown mainstays Avail and Strike Anywhere. Unlike the aforementioned bands, Landmines uses less punk tendencies and favors more classic hardcore traits, similar to bands like Gorilla Biscuits, H2O and Bane. Commerce and Marx is their third release for Paper + Plastick and it’s easily the band’s strongest and most complete effort to date. The song “You Are Number Six” talks about the dangers of the digital age and a need to maintain individuality. It uses a breakneck tempo, shredding guitars and gang vocals to make its point, and enough can’t be said about how great it sounds to hear a contemporary band that’s genuinely pissed off about something. “Evil Eye” is a personal song that addresses change and a desire to maintain a troubled relationship. It’s one of the album’s more melodic tracks and a definite highpoint. Another quality entry is “Left on Memory LN.”, which celebrates friendship and mixes various genres to create a memorable, well-structured song. With Commerce and Marx, Landmines has made a cohesive record that displays the passion and proficiency of the band’s live performances. The album is also noticeably different than what a lot of young, up-and-coming bands are doing nowadays, and that alone should be reason enough to give them a listen. Check out the song “Evil Eye” below.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/05-Evil-Eye.mp3|titles=Evil Eye]