tattooedjedi's Full Review: F.T.T.W. by H2O (Hardcore)
There really are two schools of New York Hardcore. Now, I'm not talking about old school and new school. What I am talking about here are the two different styles of hardcore. I'm going to call one that "Agnostic Front" style of hardcore, where the band's chords are very fast, and the lead singer barks and screeches through the cadence of his or her song. Then there's the "Warzone" school of hardcore, where the hardcore is much more melodic, and the singer has a finger snapping, up beat style of delivery.
Toby Morse and his band H2O certainly hail from the "Warzone" school. I still remember the first time I saw H2O live. they were opening for the band "Downset" at NY's Irving Plaza. It was right before Christmas time, and Toby came on stage dressed in a punk Santa Claus suit. From that point forward I was sold.
H2O's sound is extremely upbeat and melodic. They actually sound A LOT like the old band Warzone, with a smidgen of Murphy's Law and The Bouncing Souls thrown in. H2O is one of the most popular hardcore outfits in the NY area, and has been for the last several years. They have the power to attract many a fan to their live shows. Each time they never disappoint, either. Their live shows are full evidence of what a terrific hardcore band they are. Energetic and upbeat, and unrelenting. That is what H2O is.
A couple of years ago, H2O signed to Epitaph Records, a hardcore rich label, and put out a record called "Thicker Than Water", which was a pretty excellent album in its own right. In 1999, the band followed that record up with another really terrific hardcore record called "F.T.T.W.".
Before I discuss the record, let's first meet the band.
H2O is made up of:
Toby Morse on Vocals
Todd Morse on guitar
Rusty Pistachio on guitar
Adam Blake on bass
Todd Friend on drums
H2O, musically is a phenomenal band. Their sound is incredibly upbeat, their lyrics incredibly timely. "F.T.T.W." has 19 crisp and fun hardcore/punk songs that certainly will not disappoint your ears.
The record kicks off with the tune "Faster Than The World", a wonderfully upbeat hardcore song, in which Toby sings:
"Look for us in cali - east bay to LA
or with our friends in DC - the UST
we made it through the Canadian Border
back home next week to NYC because we're faster than the world, we can't slow down
I hear the windy city calling -- chitown, chitown
as we arrive in tokyo-edemio
and the kids are cool in Kansas
tomorrow's the Philly Troc show...."
Telling it like it is, that's H2O. "Faster Than The World" is an entertaining song about the band on the road. That is H2O in the nutshell. Always touring, always upbeat, and always out to please their fans. A real first rate, top notch hardcore band.
Other terrific songs on this great punk record are: "Empty Pockets", "Guilty By Association", "Can I Overcome?", "Fading", "Bookstraps", and "Day by Day".
One of their largest hits is present on "F.T.T.W." as well. The song "One Life, One Chance" actually had a video that was played on MTV a couple of times, which is a feat in and of itself for a little hardcore group from NYC. The song itself is another true poignant tale of hardcore survival. Toby croons here:
What if I said I was an accident waiting to happen?
Would I trip and fall, fall on my own words?
and would you say, say that I was wrong?
my words were out of place, went where I didn't belong.
This to me is fact and fiction plays a role
confusing situations that I can't control
the heart of the matter, it beats with pride
sometimes I wear it on my sleeve, sometimes I keep it inside
and no one said it was gonna be easy,
and i'm not afraid to try
and with the odds stacked up against me I will have to fight
one life, one chance, gotta do it right...
I only put the lyrics in here to show you what a terrific all around band H2O is. From their introspective lyrics, right down to their finger-snapping, happy-go-lucky hardcore delivery, they are a band that needs to be heard.
Their traditional hardcore style laden, with dancy chords, and awesome rhythms are enough to keep the listener engrossed. Their sense of fun and enjoyment is what will keep you around time and time again.
"F.T.T.W." is a record that should be in every hardcore fan's collection. It is a record that breaks a lot of hardcore monotony. H2O is a band like 7 Seconds or Civ that oozes a lot of hardcore style and character. They are a band that needs to be heard.
Every so often, if you are at a show, and you see a guy, riding his bicycle and humming to himself, take a close look, because that just may be Toby Morse. From what I gather he loves hardcore shows, just as much as the every day fan. That is one of the things I love most about H2O. They just seem to be a bunch of good guys trying to have some fun by playing their music.
They have their own place in the NY Hardcore history books. Their significance continues to inspire kids in forming their garage hardcore bands.
H2O's "F.T.T.W." is a terrific record, and gets a strong thumbs up from this jedi.
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