A hardcore concept album? Has it ever been done before? Or perhaps a more fitting question would be...can it be done? The 2008 release by
Defeater, Travels, certainly answers this question. The group (which hails from the Boston area), offers an album whose, according to their press release, "songs are in chronological order from birth to death. [The album] is set in a post World War II America on the Jersey shore in a broken home." Sounds like an interesting basis, but as with the majority of hardcore bands, the songs' shouted lyrics are not exactly the easiest thing to understand (thankfully, the lyrics are included in the CD booklet). But we'll take the lads' word on it. One thing's for certain, Travels is definitely one heck of an explosive album, as it simply roars from beginning to end. ~ Greg Prato