http://www.asice.net/reviews/3480/ 3.5/5
The Golden Age is a band that needs a bunch of listening sessions to let it all sink in. At least that is what I think based on the Unlock Yourself cd. They previous made another record called Time & Distance, but I didn't have time to track it down and compare it to Unlock
Yourself.
The reason why it took me a while to get into is because I couldn't really place it in a category due to their sound. It is melodic but often very heavy with a lot of breakdowns and sing-a-longs. It isn't youth crew, it isn't new school, it isn't old school, let's just call it hardcore with a modern touch. Probably the best thing about the sound is that they keep it consistent trough out the record, no song feels out of place or doesn't fit on the record.
The lyrics are first-rate and clever written, often dealing with straight edge related topics. The artwork is a comic drawing which looks fine and probably will look great on the vinyl release. I think The Golden Age is a bit strange but good band that needs recognition.
http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/2608 8.4/10
Panic Records has been on quite a roll as of late. Releasing great records from Final Fight, Outrage, Make Do And Mend, and a 7" from a Texas hardcore band The Golden Age. This five-piece made quick work in the studio to record their new full-length,
Unlock Yourself which is being described as "one of the best melodic hardcore records to come out of this year." Being a big fan of the genre, I did not expect the band to live up to this claim at all but thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.
Unlock Yourself is an extremely solid album and already a sleeper pick for one of my favorite albums this year.
The Golden Age hit a lot harder than most melodic hardcore bands as they take the heavier elements of the genre and mix it together with with creative guitar lines and melodies. A good way to describe them would be a combination of Comeback Kid and an even more aggressive version of Strike Anywhere.
Unlock Yourself is a very consistent record as it clocks in at about twenty-five minutes and never loses it's edge at all. They also really take it up a notch on powerful tracks like "Old Ghosts." Even the shorter numbers leave a bruise like the forty-nine second "The Key," which acts as an intro to "The Flame" where it erupts into an incredibly energetic track. The final track, "Unlock Yourself" is without a doubt, the biggest standout on the record thanks to it's incredibly melodic chorus, one of the few moments on the album that features actual singing. I feel like this track is the most well-structured on
Unlock Yourself as it's almost a perfect melodic hardcore song. "Recharge" is also a standout since it slows the pace down and is far more melodic than the rest of the album but it suffers from being a little too short.That could be the case for a few other songs, but hardcore songs in general don't have to be lengthy, so most of the tracks get the job done.
Lyrically, The Golden Age let their pos-icore roots show big time. Most of them are promoting values such as the straight edge lifestyle, maintaining a positive outlook, and having hope. All of this sounds completely cheesy but the band does a good job of making these lyrics not sound preachy and forceful by taking a more respectful approach when writing them. The only problem I have with this is that there's a lot of other bands who take this same approach when writing and they do it a little better than The Golden Age, but that shouldn't get in the way of enjoying them.
Unlock Yourself is one of my favorite hardcore records of this year. There's not much to dislike about it; fantastic melodies, fierce vocals, great use of gang vocals and an overall hard hitting sound. It's nice that the lyrics promote a good message without suffering lyrically. This is a very strong sophomore release from The Golden Age and it may help Panic Records become one of the upper tier labels in hardcore.
http://thepunksite.com/reviews.php?page=album/e_n/goldenage_unlockyourself 3.5/5
Today’s hardcore scene is healthier than ever; but I think you have to dig a little below the surface when finding the real good stuff. Case and point: Panic Records. The label is fairly new, and compared to the larger conglomerates like Victory Records, Panic doesn’t have a broad distribution base. Yet everything I’ve heard off of this label is rock solid. Their latest release and newest signing, Unlock Yourself by The Golden Age, is no exception, and fits with Panic Records’ discography like a glove.
Unlock Yourself is a great slice of melodic hardcore, but should also appeal to fans of more chaotic aspects of the genre. It’s a little like Rise Against or Strike Anywhere, but with more anger and less melody. The band also briefly integrates metalcore into songs like “Live Together, Die Alone;” but instrumentally the band is far more punk-rock than metal.
Once the lyrics start, the band’s posicore perspective really takes hold. Personally, I enjoy hopeful lyrics in hardcore. I find they give anger a purpose and inspire hope for the future, so Unlock Yourself really clicked with me. While some tracks define the band as straight edge, The Golden Age presents their values respectfully so that even those outside their ideology can understand them. For example, while “The Constant” idolizes Minor Threat’s ideals, promoting veganism and an alcohol free lifestyle, the band doesn’t push their beliefs on others, even taking a step back to say “If you’re gonna do it do it for yourself and not just to fit in. This isn’t for everyone but it’s what makes sense to me.” What the band does push though is peace and unity. The best example being the cries to “Unify for Equality!” in the energetic track, “The Flame.” The Golden Age present a humble front and a hopeful message – change through compassion – it’s not necessarily unique, but it is uplifting.
When all is said and done,
Unlock Yourself further cements
Panic Records as the go to people for quality hardcore. The melodies are tight, the lyrics sincere, and their message hopeful. And while there aren’t many surprises awaiting the listener,
Unlock Yourself is an incredibly solid outing. Any fans of hardcore or rough punk owe it to themselves to give
The Golden Age a spin.
http://www.evilneedles.com/newstore/reviews/goldenage_unlockyourself.html Panic has really become one hell of a record label for anything of the hardcore sort. The Golden Age is a strong cog in their mighty wheel, and
Unlock Yourself is a tightly wound bolt holding that wheel to the rest of the machine. The term "melodic hardcore" certainly applies here, but it's not all encompassing. There's plenty of build ups that fall to breakdowns that are followed by gang shouts and rounded out with catchy choruses; but it's all done with a hint of modernity; not that silly kind of designer jeans and frosted hair modernity, but real modernity in the form of sharp guitars and meaningful lyrics.
Some of the best shows that I ever went to involved local hardcore bands that simply got on stage, played with little interruption but with blinding inspiration for 30 or so minutes, and then got out of the way for the next band. Unburdened by the demands of the touring lifestyle, these bands knew their time before the crowd was purely a vehicle for entertainment and personal emotional exhaustion. I get a similar feeling listening THE GOLDEN AGE, a Texas hardcore band that has “local” character and exuberance.
Unlock Yourself is all of 24 minutes, and a not a moment goes to waste. Featuring a haphazard, nominally nasal vocal style not unlike Thomas Barrett of STRIKE ANYWHERE, one gets the impression that when singer Fabian Rangel gets on stage, loogies and sweat are flying everywhere. Two guitarists lead the rhythm section’s charge as the band tears through such influences as broad as GOOD RIDDANCE, early CRIME IN STEREO and GORILLA BISCUITS. If there’s a “wow” factor to these guys, it’s the handiwork in the lead guitars (check out “Live Together, Die Alone”) which truly control the direction of each song, and the selective fortitude in which the band drops down gang vocals and slips in the occasional circle-pit revving of the tempos (”The Constant”). “Outside of Time” noodles a wicked guitar hook into your head, while the slow-building intro “Old Ghosts” slaps together 40 or so seconds of breathing room before the whirlwind picks up again. Really – you just gotta
give these guys a listen.
http://punkrocktheoryzine.blogspot.com/2009/07/golden-age-unlock-yourself.html 7.5/10
Panic is a label on the rise and they prove it once again with The Golden Age’s second full-length. “Unlock Yourself” is chock full of melodic hardcore anthems that hit all the right spots. All of the cuts on here are fast-paced, energetic as hell and come with more hooks than a tackle box. Oh, and there are plenty of opportunities to sing along and feel smart thanks to the meaningful lyrics. Think Strike Anywhere or Stretch Armstrong, get excited, then embrace “Unlock Yourself” and regret the fact that albums like this don’t come out all the time. The Golden Age may not be reinventing the wheel with this one but show that it still a lot of miles left.