Division Day – Beartrap Island

“Division Day? Who the hell is that?” you say. “Division Day, they are an ear full of awesome!” I say.

JayHated* has brought my attention to this quartet of LA rockers, and with good reason: they are right up my alley. They do actually have a newer album out, Visitation, which is not nearly as good as this album. Not bad, really, but just not as good as this album. Visitation makes great background music. Beartrap Island simply makes good music.

Beartrap Island was Division Day’s first full length album, following their debut EP, The Mean Way In. On their Myspace, they are listed as “Black Metal/Ambient/Grime”. They lie with the exception of Ambient. At least on this album.

This album really does have something for everyone…the 80′s punk rock throwback, “Ricky”, the indie classic, “Hurricane”, and the psycadelic, self-titled intro really get this album into full swing. They waste no time getting their rock on.

The album does wane a bit in the middle. Not necessarily in a bad way. “Lights Out” is a pretty, melodic song, where Rohner Segnitz’s vocals really shine. In a weird, indie, Luke Pritchard kind of way, but with more feeling. Think Morrissey, but less pretentious.The trouble is, the next two or three songs sound exactly like that. It’s good, it’s fun, but when you hear everything that these guys can do, you just have to wonder why.

That’s okay though! The end of this album comes back to kick your ass! “Tap Tap Click Click” makes me think of Steppenwolf every time I hear that damn opening line. It’s got a swanky, psychadelic beat that I can get down with. Then there’s “Littleblood”. Sexy, Scott Weiland-esque vocals over a rising drumbeat and one hell of a crescendo. The build up of this song is fucking epic.

This whole album is kind of an underwater trip. For some reason, it reminds me of Jerry Garcia’s watercolors and Nine Inch Nails’ “A Warm Place”. I like both of those things, so I guess it all just makes sense. Check these guys out, though, they’re pretty sweet. B

Division Day’s Virb

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