Smartbomb
"Diamond Heist"
Every now and then an album arrives that pushes every single right button, an album that has exactly the kind of sound I've narrowed down as my very favorite over the years I've been doing this job. Smartbomb's debut album "Diamond Heist" is that album, and hence you can expect a fair amount of bias to be present in this review. But even with the removal of bias, most people familiar with melodic hardcore / punk rock should be able to agree with me that this is one of the best, if not the very best, release(s) to come out of this genre in the last couple of years, on par with seminal records like Strike Anywhere's "Change Is A Sound", A Wilhelm Scream's "Career Suicide", Pennywise's "About Time" or Lifetime's "Hello Bastards".
"Barely Legal" kicks off the album not only with fucking awesome riff/chord interplay at breakneck speed, but more importantly with vocalist Eric Widing's immeasurably great vocal work. Trust me on this one, you'll seldom hear as powerful, yet so fully melodic and full-of-warmth vox as he's able to deliver throughout the entire album. He sounds devilishly fiery and pissed off, but yet somehow manages to keep that intensity at a level where it's still ultra melodic and -catchy. He's one of the most passionate vocalist's I've heard on record, you can think of him as a perfect cross between Strike Anywhere's Barnett and A Wilhelm Scream's Pereira, using the best qualities from both vocalists into his advantage. His greatness comes through especially on "Lesson Learned", where his extended "Leeeeessssooooon leaaaaaaaaarned" yells will guaranteed make a mark in your mind for months to come.
I could continue by naming more highlights on the album, but that's kind of pointless when every single song on the album is as close to perfection as you can be in this genre. Each song is distinctly different, the choruses are nothing short of incredible, and the intensity level is at a level only the best can achieve throughout. Or well, except for the only long track on the album, "PCH (Intermission)", the Rolling Stones inspired (though punk'ed up) instrumental piece lasting just over three minutes, which really breaks the entire album in half, and the NOFX-inspired reggae/ska-ish intro "In My Dreams", which is pretty boring until the gas pedal is glued to the floor around 1 minute into the song.
But after that, you get three more tracks of melodic hardcore godhood. In the end, the album has raced by you in just under 25 minutes, which might seem short on paper, but it's really the ideal length for this album. It's bloody intense and a rewarding album, that only seems to be getting better and better even with repeat listens in the 20s already. Mark my words, "Diamond Heist" will be referenced to in countless reviews in the future, where it'll be named as one of the classics in the genre, as a great example of how you don't have to be particularly original to be brilliant. 9/10
- RockFreaks.net
Smartbomb – Diamond Heist ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smartbomb had an EP released earlier in the year that sounded like some hyper kids trying to fit in with the skate-punks and hardcore bands of California. Fun, but a little messy. For their debut full-length, "Diamond Heist", they've completely cleaned up the sound production and created an almost perfect combination of speed, adrenaline and melody.
Right from the start the music has an intense quality that every punk album should have with speedy guitar and drum interaction and energetic hooks. Eric Widing's vocals are definitely one of the most distinct in today's punk era– very close to Strike Anywhere's Thomas Barnett with the harmonic voice jumps. There's definitely a sense of anger in his voice but it's kept back as he lets the lyrics do all the screaming.
Which brings us to the lyrics, and with song titles like "Barely Legal" and "Avoid The Lloyd" the band gives off a humorous impression. But while there is some random humor mixed through the album, most of the lyrics are all but laughable. "Barely Legal" talks about all the kids who are shipped off to war without being old enough to question why, while the hardcore influenced "Crucial Times" has a political agenda to make people think for themselves and deals with the "propaganda machine… whether it be communism or the most modern terrorism", definitely thought provoking and catchy with the "Hey! These are crucial times!" gang chant at the end.
An advantage to "Diamond Heist" is the array of sounds this No Trigger side project has, from the white-boy reggae intro on "In My Dreams", an amusing twist to keep your attention, to the daring, yet catchy, three-minute intermission. For the flipside, the only thing I have a problem with is the fade-out at the end of "Blood & Sand"; there's no reason for a fading out in punk rock, leave that for the radio friendly. But with that said, Smatbomb's solid knowledge of the punk way of life will certainly win over fans of the genre. 4.5/5
Luke Dimitrick
WayTooLoud.com
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Back when Smartbomb's latest EP "Chaos And Lawlessness" hit the stage in early 2008, it was given several listens to see if it could sway my opinion towards either good or bad. Unfortunately the short EP was a little boring even though it spoke in true punk fashion. This time around we are privy to their first full length "Diamond Heist" which promised to be an upgrade from their previous release.
Right from the start, improvements were noticed from almost all elements. A producer can either help or hurt a CD in many ways and having Jim Siegel (Dropkick Murphys, The Unseen) as producer on the project made this album a whole new album. Where a slew of speedy riffs and awkward throaty growls once stood, we are left with a clearer, more Rancid(if you can call that clear)-like sounding band. The riffs are still quick, but they aren't sloppy like the previous EP. The vocals are more manageable now because time is take out to sound out the words (I guess so we don't think they are drunk).
The lyrics still stand strong, filled with anti-flag spiels and political anthems shouted for all to hear. The one thing I did enjoy about their EP, as well as "Diamond Heist" is the honest and true unchanged punk atmosphere created with their music. This could fly now just as well as it could when punk emerged decades ago. That being said, the album is also criminally short, clocking in at about 22 minutes for a 12 track endeavor. Yea punk is a violent and quick display of protest but if I'm shelling out my hard earned bucks(I wish I had some of these) then it better be for an album that can outlast an episode of the Simpsons.
Besides that, much progression has been made to the band that was once called "No Trigger's side project." And while the swift and political punk rock isn't something to listen to everyday, Smartbomb has cleaned up nice for their debut "full"-length.
- SkylinePress.net