1956

I can't even come close to describing this CD, you would have to hear it. And I suggest you do check it out. It's such a weird mix of sounds that seem to work together better than I could have ever imagined. I hear alternative sounding stuff, indie rock, creative riffing, and very strong songwriting skills.

Another peculiar thing about this release is that the songs are so drastically different sounding. They go from droney meloncholy to screaming craziness to parts that almost sound like System of a Down. The lyrics are hauntingly brilliant.

This is a great CD and I definetly think you should buy it. It will improve any collection no matter what kind of music you prefer. - cbrickhouse (PA HARDCORE)

Most people that are knowledgeable about the current state of underground rock would call this post-hardcore, but I know metal when I hear it. It does remind me of bands like Still Life or Rodan, but anything slow, heavy, and drudgy has to be metal, right? Well, whatever you want to call this, it's good. It starts with a noisy but sparsely simple instrumental and launches into six heavy and emotional songs. The formula for the most part is heavy melodic guitars and bass, heavy drums and vocals that are sometimes drawn out and deep, sometimes screamed and some occasionally eerie piano, which works extremely well. 1956 does change it up from time to time, such as the soft clean guitar interlude in "American Grande" and the acoustically driven "Ether," which keeps it interesting without going too far out of it's way. This is a really good listen, and I also have to give it to them for recalling a sort of Alice In Chains type sludgy sound on occasion without making me sick at all. There are very few bands who really know how to make this work anymore, so I have to hand it to these guys for making this entertaining. - Action Attack Helicopter Magazine

This band's eclectic and captivating sound just grabs you from track one. influences from early 90's hardrock, to post-hardcore, to modern sludge, and even indie rock. the ep tends to jump all over that spectrum as well. songs that range from mellow, brooding, and dark, to all out aggressive and intense jams make up this record. easy comparisons to bands here are: tool, neurosis, quicksand, and other bands of that sort of calibur. also, being an artist myself, i'd like to think i have an appreciation for all kinds of art. i must say that the packaging alone on this record is awesome. somber, dark, and gritty, going along with the music's dark, broody theme. definitely a sweet record for any fan of the aforementioned bands i listed. - Calamity Project

Review: 1956 are extremely eclectic in their sound. Mixing noticeable influences ranging from late '90s indie rock to post-hardcore akin to Quicksand to even the metal rhythms of Black Sabbath, these kids crank out some intense jams. Although the songs seem a bit boring at first, once they kick in the distortion you won't be the same. This EP offers a great change of pace in independent music, coming close enough to so many genres that fans of Hydrahead and Deep Elm alike could easily access it. Keep an eye on this label... they seem to have a great ear for catching fresh bands. - Invisibleyouth.com

Milwaukee, WI finally has a band to write home about. That act is the anti-ballad kings of eerie, 1956. 1956 play a cross between the cerebral sounds of Neurosis and accessible hardrock of Helmet or Queens of the Stone Age. The combination couldn't be any more welcomed than on "The Great Sleep," and believe you me, there won't be any dozing while this 7-song epic plays through its grandeur.

As far as song structure goes, these guys have taken the Helmet sound and added a dose of sludge to the mix. The outcome is a wonderful blend of rock-tainted sludge bitterness. The best way to describe 1956 is foul in its purest form. From the music all the way down to the dismal packaging, this album is just about everything any Hydra Head or Escape Artist fan could ever want in a record.

I swear that the opening riff of" A Lesson in Remembrance" is almost identical to the opening riff of Helmet's "Unsung" (after the bass part of course). They did succeed in making this their own by slowing down the pace and changing it ever so slightly. 1956 is somewhat comparable to Floor. The only major difference is the vocal delivery as 1956 is almost 100% clean vocals. There is some brief screaming near the finale of "The Great Sleep," but this is just as accessible to a rock fan as any sludge fan.

I like 1956 a lot. The only down-side is the muddy production. I think these guys had their heads in the right spot when they recorded this and I know exactly what they were trying to achieve, it just didn't get captured as perfectly as they could've hoped. Also, it's apparent from the liner notes of this album that it was never mastered. It's really close to being tragic, but the band writes such good music that the songs all still rock hard. I can imagine this material must be quite enjoyable live.

"A Lesson in Remembrance" is the first song after the instrumental opener, "Giving Away the Ending." This is far and away the album's gem. Its acoustic intro followed by the Helmet-esque sludge rock riffage is perfectly executed at all stages of musicianship. "American Grande" is equally as monolithic and feels like a sequel to its predecessor. Another minor note is that there is a considerable amount of dead air between songs on "The Great Sleep." I'm still not sure why they didn't do the standard three seconds between tracks, although I'm sure the absence of mastering played a major part in this blunder. Still, it doesn't hide the fact that 1956 are a rock machine. I just hope that next time around they go the whole nine yards, so to speak.

Bottom Line: Not many bands have debuted as strongly as 1956. This band is going to make a significant impact in general. All they need is to hit a proper studio and they are as good as gold. I'm gong to have a close eye on these guys as I feel this is the band to look out for in 2003. With solid recording and packaging, I fully expect this band to go places. Give this record a shot. - Lambgoat.com