Posted on: May 4, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Though The Casting Out is led by former BoySetsFire singer Nathan Gray, don’t expect this new outfit to sound anything remotely like the post hardcore band he used to front. On the band’s debut, Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks!, the angry guitars and angsty bellows have been replaced by a more pop/punk sound and a few song-along choruses.

The change, while certainly not unprecedented (and not as drastic as Bob Mould leaving Husker Du to front Sugar), is still welcome. The dozen songs that make up the band’s debut for the most part are solid, but lyrically bring out a few eye rolls with their over the top, life or death proclamations (“Lullaby,” “Don’t Forget to Breathe,” etc. ) that boarder on Creed-like pomposity. While it’s great to hear a band that has reached back deeper than a few high school heartbreaks for lyrical inspiration, there is some middle ground between trivial and tragedy and The Casting Out manage to find it on a handful of songs. There are snatches of a band that’s simply having fun, like on the song “Liar (And the Award Goes To…),” but too often it seems as if the group is concentrating too hard on wrestling away from Bono the title of important rock star.

Top Tracks: “Liar (And the Award Goes To…)” and “These Alterations”

Ratings: 6.5 out of 10

The Casting Out – Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! /CD/2009/Fail Safe Records/12 tracks/www.myspace.com/thecastingout

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