The Detachment Kit They Raging, Quiet Army Release Date: April 9, 2002 (original release - has been rereleased since) Label: The Self-Starter Foundation Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. This is one of my "from the vault" discs for this issue of Cord. It's not like the CD is really-super-old or anything. It's 2002 release. It's just that it's been rereleased since the version I own came out (I picked this up while they were on tour - I believe the reissue had already happened. I feel cheated.), they have an EP since then and are recording another full length at the moment (after they get off a big US tour that's just starting up). And I've had this disc for a while now. But the world deserves to hear about them, and so far, not enough of it has. This isn't exactly screamo/extreme-o/whatever-they-call-wild-and-abrasive-emo, but it appears to have such peculiarly artsy traits that are often associated with the genre. Things like slightly-grammatically-incorrect rambling, highbrow song titles that often reference some sort of political or cultural event, and wordy lyrics, not to mention odd juxtapositions of sounds. The music though, is very unlike most of this ilk. The vocals are sometimes speakerly, with backing vocals often made out as screams. Furious screams. Whooping, aimless, squalling screams. Huge, plodding drums mix with twangy, jumpy guitars. It's mostly quite loud and moderately insane, but there's some gentle moments to keep you calm, and then leave you vulnerable enough to turn around and shock the shit out of you when they all start screaming in unison again. Big drums. Big. Such odd, deliberate, elocuted vocals. "Dead Angels Make Slow Sound" is a really neat song. Makes you move. It has a sound much more concurrent with the genre its sort of a part of. There's a bit of unwarbling Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) in here. I envision a lot of jumping and I can't help but move around, even while I'm writing this. Okay, okay, so there is some chiming emo pop guitar in this stuff. "Never Hear Your Words" smoothly lolls along with a simple strumming guitar and slow vocal harmonies, before rising up with a set of strong drums to a loud and noisy climax. After that, "Yourself : A Majesty Of Infinite Space" takes over strong and starts up with an echoey speak-and-yell-off between to alternating vocal tracks and the word "Sound!" This is the top song on the disc as far as I'm concerned. There's so much potential energy built up during the frenzied verse and the chorus is just insane yelling with an almost-talk stapled over top. I barely know what to say. Same with "Another Great Champion Sought, Thought, And Died." It just rocks out after so much quietness. There is utter pandemonium to end this record. It's an almost exhausting listen. Lyric Of Choice : Goddammit I play my favourite song... Song Of Choice : Gotta be "Yourself : A Majesty Of Infinite Space" -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere The Detachment Kit website Published : April 22, 2004.