Everything Went Black-Cycles Of Light

Lost Shepherd/Prosthetic
2012


Awhile back I talked about trying to cover some of the releases that we've had sitting around Heavy Metal Time Machine waiting to be reviewed. While these releases are not physically taking up space, as we are talking about our digital Haulix page here, they have been overlooked for one reason or another. With that said let's roll the dice so to speak and grab out Everything Went Black's album "Cycles Of Light". This particular release came out in mid-January so it is a few months old, but it still smells fresh enough to review so here goes. The promo states that the band hails from the "wasteland of St. Louis". Apparently someone decided to take out St. Louis and I didn't know about it. Man, talk about media blackout! Anyway, since the band’s formation in the spring of 2009 they have released an EP, a 7” on Hands Up! Records, and a split with Louisville, KY hardcore outfit Rattletooth on St. Louis based label I Hate Punk Rock Records. Not that much in the way of a catalog, but some bands save up their best stuff instead of releasing a slew of so-so records year after year after year. With "Cycles Of Light", Everything Went Black's debut album, the band took took their sweet time this past summer putting all the right pieces in place. You could look at it as make or break it time for the band I suppose. After all metallic hardcore isn't exactly a new trend and there are more and more of these types of groups hitting the scene daily. Go to just about any large city in America where punks and bangers hang together and I'm sure you'll find your own Everything Went Black. Is that a bad thing? Pardon my French, but hell no! Since my teen years (or the days when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth according to my kids) hardcore and metal have been hooking up, having one night stands and producing the most insane and over the top little crossover babies you've ever seen. I'll go on record as saying that with their debut full-length album, "Cycles of Light", there is not anything new under the sun music-wise. And despite the fact that the band (who no doubt took their name from the 1982 compilation album by Black Flag) are said to be influenced by the likes of The Hope Conspiracy, Black Flag (hence the name) and Entombed this is more or less straight ahead hardcore metal. It sounds as if it was released back in the mid to late eighties. Of course just like albums from that era (or rather underground hardcore/metal releases from that time period) the production is raw. The sound tends to suffer a bit as a result and, again just being honest, some of the material blurs together. But, you can't discount the intensity and energy that Everything Went Black bring forth in their music. "Cycles Of Light" is one of those releases that I'm glad I took the time to go back and check out. If I was still "anarchyboy", as in the days of my youth, a band like Everything Went Black would be sitting in my tape bin well-worn out. As a 38 year old single father of two that sort of fire might be gone, but it is never really forgotten. It still sits there right under the surface and as a result, even with bad knees and a bad back, Everything Went Black is able to push all the right buttons. I can't say that Everything Went Black will end up being more than just one of "those" bands. You know the type of band I'm talking about. It is the type of underground band who puts out a few releases every couple of years but, despite having a nice size following, they never really make it past the underground stage. I hope I am wrong and the band matures into a real ball-breaker outfit. My gut though tells me that this is band that will stick to their roots (which is a good thing), put out good music and have a steady career, but ultimately remain a mere cult act.