Was It Fear
 |
| Was it Fear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2002 | |||
| Recorded | Livinghead Studios | |||
| Genre | emo, Indie rock | |||
| Length | 62:30 | |||
| Label | Sunset Alliance (ALLY 019) | |||
| Producer | Mike Hissong | |||
| Half Visconte chronology | ||||
| ||||
Was it Fear is the debut full-length album of indie rock band Half Visconte. It is also the band's final recording and was released almost two years after the band broke up.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Indieville | 90%[1] |
| Action Attack Helicopter | A [2] |
Was it Fear was widely praised by critics.
Jeff Petermen at Action Attack Helicopter Magazine gave the record an A, calling it "A wonderful delve into Indie rock."[2] According to Petermen, this "disc . . . packed full of rock and roll and indie goodness" creates a disturbingly serene contrast between vocals that "are clean and haunting," "the scratchy fuzz of the guitars and bass," the soothing drums.[2]
The critic at Adequacy.net would give reviews that are just as praiseworthy, calling Was it Fear "an absolutely stunning entry into the modern music underground."[3] Praising the group's improvisation and musicianship, the critic found "The music [to be] sometimes jarring, sometimes soothing, and always challenging as it swings from angular to atmospheric with ease. It’s a testament to the skill of the band that these songs sound so complete and the improvised sections are so fluid and transcendent."[3] He concluded by stating that "Half Visconte intentionally push themselves and their songs to go farther: beyond the fences, past the tiny orange surveying flags, and deeper into the looking glass. The stuff they brought back is phenomenal."[3]
Matt Shimmer at Individual.com called Was It Fear? "an amazing record," describing this effort as "the emotional nature of emo, subtract the whining, [and] add[ing] excellent songwriting." .[1] Giving Was it Fear a grade of 90%, Shimmer writes that "If Was It Fear? is any indication, HV could be heading towards legendary status - defying musical convention all the way to the indie rock hall of fame."[1]
Finally, Hayden Blades at SLAM Magazine would describe the music from this "beautiful album" as "at one point, a cacophony of Punk splattered on a canvas, with hints of Progressive and sometimes even Americana." Then, "at another point, [Half Visconte] [draws] a visceral likeness to bands such as Godspeed You Black Emperor!, who expertly melt the serene with exponential builds of crescendos and powerful musical mantras."[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Tried to Erase" | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Racked and Martyred" | 2:28 |
| 3. | "His Song" | 1:31 |
| 4. | "Money Shot" | 6:02 |
| 5. | "11" | 8:26 |
| 6. | "I Wear Fast" | 0:21 |
| 7. | "A Walking Tour of Trinidad, CO" | 5:34 |
| 8. | "O The Lyin' Papa" | 2:31 |
| 9. | "Name" | 13:35 |
| 10. | "A Few Moments Before Sleeping and Waking" | 17:01 |
References
- ^ a b c Shimmer, Matt. Was it Fear Review, Indieville.com retrieved 03-17-12
- ^ a b c Petermen, Jeff. Review: Was it Fear, Action Attack Helicopter Magazine, Mar. 31, 2003 retrieved 03-17-12
- ^ a b c Adequacy.net Review of Was it Fear, Jan. 27, 2003 retrieved 03-17-12
- ^ Blades, Hayden. Half Visconte: Was it Fear, SLAM Magazine, Dec. 2005 retrieved 03-17-12