Seattle's
On the Last Day come from the same local scene that spawned fellow Victory Records act
Aiden. Not only are the two bands good friends from those early days, they both also look pretty similar in their dark garb, heavy eyeliner usage, and morose faces. So it may come as no shock that the bands also have a relatively similar sound -- emphasis on relative, though, since
On the Last Day are much more rooted in post-hardcore than their goth-melodic-screamo peers. The band's sonic assault is like an early, more uniform version of
Boy Sets Fire; lead singer Geoffrey Walker at times even sounds disturbingly similar to
Nathan Gray. These comparisons aside, there's not really much to say about
On the Last Day or their Victory debut, Meaning in the Static. Though the pace stays pretty quick, somehow 11 songs in about 40 minutes becomes a bit tedious. There's nothing inherently bad about the music and the band actually comes off as way more likable than initial, superficial opinions may have suggested. The drums propel everything along fiercely as the vocals switch up from quasi-singing to grueling shrieking and requisite heavy breakdowns are thrown in when necessary; the production is also not overly slick, allowing the band's relative grit to shine through. Overall, it's a competent take on post-hardcore that comes in, does its thing, and leaves without really adding much along the way -- there's just something missing in Meaning in the Static that ultimately makes it a decent but frustrating record. After all, indifference is not usually what bands aspire to leave their listeners feeling, right? ~ Corey Apar