CoC : Chapter VIII - Your Halo Is My Noose : Review

Chapter VIII - _Your Halo Is My Noose_
by: Aaron McKay (2.5 out of 5)

Complete with a new name, this five piece outfit (formerly known as Krvnk) has now offered up a real Kafka-esque effort with metal-tinged hardcore enough to properly (de)hydrate a University of Florida frat keger -- at least for the thirty-four plus minutes the CD runs. Dark and estranged, Chapter VIII seems to develop yet another blurring-of-the-lines between two related, yet diametrically unique genres. Crumbsuckers did this, as did countless others, but Chapter VIII have (again) thrown their proverbial hat into the ring. Not overpowered in form or feel, the metal riffing is absorbed quite well into the general overall feel of the fast-paced fury of _Your Halo Is My Noose_'s nine original tracks; the album closes with an unusually stripped-down cover of Billy Idol's "White Wedding". I'm always up for pushing the envelope, but "White Wedding"? If keeping with Billy Idol is a must, "Rebel Yell" may possibly have been a more convincing selection to demonstrate Chapter VIII's convictions, but that is one humble reviewer's opinion. Anyway, these guys would no doubt be a welcome addition to a Shadows Fall / Mastodon tour. Dirk delivers a performance highlighted by strained vocals enough to pique the interest of J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer) devotees. The disc starts of with some solidly crafted material, as "Hourglass" may convince you, and henceforth infuses musical arrangements plentiful enough to keep the listener duly curious. Overall, _Your Halo Is My Noose_ is a deliberately coordinated sonic metalcore stoning, but just enough to say Chapter VIII didn't fall asleep at the wheel of imagination.

Contact: http://www.chapterviii.com

(article published 12/7/2004)