Brazil

Similarly revered and dismissed for their uncanny resemblance to former label-mates and prog-punk practitioners At the Drive-In after the release of their previous EP, Brazil have certainly come into their own with their debut full-length. Although there are still numerous points of comparison — atmospheric music accentuated by interesting, technically advanced guitar work, screamy vocals and odd-metered time signatures — Brazil has taken off into a much more epic direction than ATDI ever did. The band’s use of keyboards is particularly liberating. They could well be to emo punk what Type O Negative are to nu-metal — that is to say they mess with the formula of a familiar genre and distinguish themselves in the process. But more than musical creativity and vocal harmonising, their songs actually say something. Fans of Coheed and Cambria (with whom they just finished a successful tour) and Further Seems Forever would be well advised to seek this disc out.