Cries Hannah

Melodic hardcore from the Midwest that might be the next Shai Hulud (that might be a stretch) when they’re not trying to do a screamo-thing. A relentless tour outfit, Cries Hannah has played well over a hundred shows in merely the past five months. Loud frenzied guitars distort and weave about as the drumming kills your innards with breakdowns, cymbals, and fast snare hits. A huge sound, “Beloved I Caught You When You Fell” might rescue what remains of the metalcore scene.

- J-Sin
- www.smother.net

One of the last releases of the year off the Crash Music label comes from a band called Cries Hannah, who coincidentally is a Christian Metalcore band it would seem. The band does their best on their new full length disc entitled, Beloved...I Caught You When You Fell, to combine and churn out extravagant melodies mixed with sheer brutality, unrelenting emotion and undecipherable screaming with a touch of clean vocals. In the end the result is decent but far from original and I mean no disrespect to the band or their craft. It's great, but I've heard it all before in some form or another.
What is original and creative about the band is their lyrical content and the way they've chosen to live their life through Christianity. No, it's not really my thing but I do respect the band for standing up for what they believe in and writing contemporary Christian Metal. In doing this, they're helping to break the boundaries of religion and the rules so to speak. Again it shows that no longer do you have to sing and play the normal, boring Church music that has been forced on you. I'm of the opinion that this is indeed very necessary for the youth of the world today, although I'm not religious in any shape or form, however, I was raised to be and it was forced and this type of worship (through Metal) wasn't tolerated and was considered blasphemous. It's nice to see it's still around and growing, maybe soon people won't be so radical and narrow minded in their thought processes and we can all get along somehow regardless of our choices of religion.

Although, I wasn't too impressed with this effort, I do recommend checking it out - specifically if you're religious or you're thinking about seeking a life in Christianity, where you can think outside of the box.
- Black Angel Promotinos

Never know what you will find on band's blogs. Recently posted on www.myspace.com/crieshannah sounds like all is not so good in paradise. According to Cries Hannah, they are wanting they are looking to buy out their current 3 record deal with Crash Music Inc. We contacted the Cries Hannah and asked for the official scoop on their posting of Free Cries Hannah.

"We signed with Crash Music Inc in August of 2006. They told us in many emails that they would advertise and promote the cd to the very best of their ability. We went into the studio 3 weeks after the signing. In the contract we signed, they initially only gave us a $500 recording budget. We realized that the cd was gonna end up costing $2700 plus gas and food. We called Mark, President/Owner of Crash Music Inc, to ask for more money. He told us he could give us $2,000 to do the cd. As a band, we decided we would take the extra $700 on our backs so we could have the best recording possible. The contracts states that we will receive a check within 10 days of them getting the Masters and the artwork for our cd. As soon as the cd was mastered, we sent them all the masters for the cd, and then we called them to see about the money. They told us they would send us $650 now, and then when they got the artwork they would send us the other $1,350.
So like they said, they sent us $650, and we sent the artwork for the cd. Once we had sent it, we called and emailed them about the rest of the money, but we never received a response. After several weeks of this, we were very upset with them and decided to take things a bit further. We contacted a lawyer and had him review our contract. After our lawyer sent a formal letter, they still didn't respond or seem concerned about our feelings. Several days later, they finally emailed us back and told us that we would not be getting the $1,350 because we were pushing them around with our emails and phone calls, and we just need to calm down. After seeing Crash Music Inc in action we decided we were on separate pages and wanted to part with Crash Music. They told us that there was absolutely no way to get out of the contract, and that we should be men and stick with it for the next 2 cds. We asked them if there was any way we could buy out of the contract, and they told us we could buy out for $8,000. We kinda thought that was too much, and we got it negotiated down to $4,500. Since we have pretty much been on the road for the past 5 months straight, we have no money. We thought of a good idea for our friends, fans, and family to help us out.
"Free Cries Hannah"
It was just an idea to make some money to buy out of the contract. Since then, Crash Music will not answer our phone calls, and will not work with us to work things out.
We have talked to several bands on their label, and all of them have said they are in the same situation as we are. We are not trying to attack Crash Music Inc, we are just trying to get the things they promised to us.
We feel like we were treated unfairly at times, but on the other hand, we feel like sometimes we said things to Crash out of anger. We apologize for the way things are right now, but feel like we have separate agendas and cannot stay with Crash Music Inc. Looking back on things, we know we would have done things differently both in signing and in the actions that we took afterwards, but we can't change that now. -Cries Hannah"

We then made an attempt to contact Mark Nawara, President of Crash Music Inc. We had noticed the lack of promotions with Cries Hannah's debut album, Beloved...I Caught You When You Fell, which is currently on sale but not available CM Inc.'s own webstore. We instead got a response from Rob Bolger, Marketing and Promotion. After specifically asking for the official statement on this matter we were sent the following message,

"There is no buy out.the band signed a deal and thats that when the deal expires thats when they are free and if you keep posting these things our lawyer will be in touch and if you feel you have a case have a lawyer contact us nothing more to say. -Rob"
After further conversation with Bolger we were told,

"That's why im not going to deal with it or let them go i don't need this crap from some young kids that have no clue how a real label works let me know what you need from crash Best Rob"

So, as you can see, trouble is brewing. If you would like to help Cries Hannah please visit their my space at www.myspace.com/crieshannah . You can also see our exclusive interview with the band here.

-Dennis Minner, WMP
- www.wisemenpromotions.com

Crash Music Inc., November 2006
Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore
Official site: www.crieshannah.com
Rating: 4/5

Belief in anything takes a great deal of dedication and the determination to step out and act upon desires. The desire of Cries Hannah is to represent their beliefs along with diverse traits that make them a “band to never forget”. The importance of “performance” is with Cries Hannah on and away from the live stage scene. Power and Emotion along with Detail, and an expressed quality of Love plays an important role in the experience of Cries Hannah. Cries Hannah could be described as a great reflection of modern melody, power driven riffs influenced by the Midwestern Hardcore scene, along with a touch of great Metalcore that is so well loved among music fanatics. Impacting melody and passionate vocals are what makes Cries Hannah who they are. “We try to stress the things that really matter, while capturing the imagination of the listening audience”, explains drummer Matt Boyd. After a few lineup changes, lots of practice hours, many broken strings, and numerous trips to the Huddle House Cries Hannah is hitting the road relentlessly and have shared the stage with such noble acts in the music scene. They are currently in the studio finished recording their upcoming full length album entitled, "BELOVED...I Caught You When You Fell” which will be released November 14th, 2006.

Musically
Let me first admit I have known these guys for a long long time and through all the ups and downs they will always hold a special place with me. Knowing that I was a bit nervous about really taking a listen to their first full-length release. The first track, "For Some Reason, Goodbye Just Doesn't Cover It", kicks in with a horrible low budget quality. That scared me and then all of the sudden the song hits in with a full onslaught of metal and hardcore ferocity. It was an amazing intro to draw your ears into the album. What you hear on this track stands firm for the rest of the album.... and for you drum fans...the first song will bring a smile to your face. Wailing guitars bring in the "Romance is Dead" with deep bass lines and all of the sudden I realize I am loving this disc. Every time the double bass kicks in with the amazing guitar work I can't help from moving my head. A noticeable trendy direction comes in about the last minute of the track. The music flows onto a more melodic and screamo pop influence. "Acquittal" creeps in with a heavy As I Lay Dying appeal but holding onto originality. The bass line and guitar have a way of pushing and pulling at your chest. "The Cutting Room Floor" doesn't hold anything back. The track is a unique blend of hardcore and a more brutal metal approach. "The Wedding" has a more pop influenced screamo sound but then the insane ferocity of the double kick drum and amazing bass lines blow your speakers apart during the chorus. Cries Hannah is not afraid to show their true metal influence with plenty of guitar breakouts and even a few on the bass like on "Brush That Bled...". One of the only tracks that I didn't care for came in at the very end on "This Heart, These Knives; Last Note." The song didn't feel like a natural mix with the band as compared to the rest of the album. It was a bit uncomfortable in the beginning. It isn't a bad track; just not one I could get into, even after listening several times. A couple of instrumental tracks are included which brings the full tracks to only 9. What is great is no two songs on this album sound alike and the album is one of the more diverse hardcore influenced albums I have heard in a long time. Now remember this is a first full-length release from Cries Hannah but the maturity of this album is already highly noticeable.

Lyrically/Vocally
Matt Tompkins both leads the band and writes almost all the lyrics. When the album first kicks in it had some resemblance to Zao. Not completely the perfect match of the vocal style and range, close though, but the strength and passion within the vocals are what is appealing. This soft-spoken front man is at the top of his game in their first full length release. At the same time, the passion is not hidden within the lyrics. The songs reach down to those going through rough times in life and relationships and offer a helping hand. Cries Hannah sings about their faith in Christ without being pushy or condescending. Again, the theme of maturity is something I will hold on to when describing these lyrical content. If you are going through struggle or pain and want a way out, make sure and really look into the lyrics of this band.

The songs have a lot of depth and are not just played hard and loud but actually done with a style of their own and that is what will separate Cries Hannah from so many others in this genre. Cries Hannah has found themselves a home in a crowded world of metal and hardcore music by bringing in a touch of southern originality and passion! If you are into absolu - Dennis Minner (WMP)

1. How long have you guys known each other and how long have you been
together as a band?

(Matt T.) We've been together Since July 2003. Matt B. and Trey were friends in high school, but I didn't even meet them until they joined the band.

2. What bands did you guys listen to growing up and which ones influenced you the most?

(Matt T.) To be perfectly honest, we all listened to a lot of secular stuff growing up. I know i was into the nu-metal/metal scene up until the point I gave my life to Christ.

3. What would you like the listener to gain or get out of listening to Cries Hannah Music?

This is Matt B. (Drums), We try to show the listening audience that you can worship to any kind of music, and that would just walk away with a Christ Centered Message. Also that life is full of trials and hardships but if you keep your mind centered upon Jesus then You WILL Prevail through everything. Failure isn't to try and not suceed, but to just never try at all.

4. Do any of the events going on in the world today such as the war with Iraq or other subject matter come into play when you are writing your lyrics?

Matt T) To be honest, all of the songs I've written are songs about my past. They are about where i was, the relationships I had, what God has done for me, and where He's taking me. I really want the listeners to just look at all He has done for me and look at what He has done and is doing in their life. It's really important for me that people get captivated by the music and dig into the lyrics poetic meaning behind them.

6. How would you guys describe your music? What bands influenced your sound?

(Matt T.) I would say that it is a blend of melodies backed by driving bass riffs, and a lot of screams mixed with emotional singing. You can actually check us out on www.purevolume.com/crieshannah or www.crieshannah.com. We have two of the rough edits from the studio that will appear on the EP actually. The bands that have influenced us the most are Haste the Day, Norma Jean, Underoath, The Last Farewell, and Beloved.

7. How long have you been Christians? How would you describe the feeling knowing that you can help lead someone who's lost to the Loving hands of the Lord Jesus through your music and message?

(Matt T.) I will have been saved for two years on May 29. Matt B. has been saved for almost 12 years, Eric has been saved for 4 years, and Trey for 2 years. Knowing that God could use us like that is just AWESOME! In fact, in the last 3 shows we have played, 9 people have accepted Christ into their lives, which for us is just eye opening. It really is exciting.

8. What's the story behind the bands name?

(Matt T.) The name comes from the book of Samuel. Hannah was born unable to bare children and Elkanah, her husband had another wife named Peninah. She could bare children and she would provoke her until she wept. Later in the scriptures, Hannah promises God that if she could bare a child, she would give that child over to God. God provided her with that child and she kept her promise to Him, which really spoke to us all a lot because a lot of times we make a promise to God, but do not keep it. That child she was blessed with was Samuel.

9. This is the speak out portion of the interview. You can air your thoughts about anything you want. Let everyone know what’s on your mind about any subject you like.

We would like to thank Skinny's diner in Kennett, MO. Because their omlets rule and their choclate chip waffles are da' bomb fo' sho'. We would also like to warn everyone that methane levels are at an all time high in Hayti, MO... due toCourdory Boy studios. You'll get that in a minute.

10. What Cd's do you and the band have in your Cd players right now?

(Matt T.) Speaking on behalf of all of us, the bands we are listening to the most are Underoath (old and new), Haste the Day, Scars Will Fade, After the Tragedy, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Further Seems Forever, The Last
Farewell, Story of the Year, and Kids in the Way.

Well, once again we would just like to thank you for giving us this opportunity to tell you a little about us and we want to encourage everyone to stay strong in Christ. Thanks, Cries Hannah - Christianxtreme.com

Crash Music has announced the signing of CRIES HANNAH to a three-album deal.

CRIES HANNAH could be described as a great reflection of modern melody, power driven riffs influenced by the Midwestern hardcore scene. Impacting melody and passionate vocals are what makes CRIES HANNAH who they are. "We try to stress the things that really matter, while capturing the imagination of the listening audience," explains drummer Matt Boyd.

CRIES HANNAH is currently in the studio recording its new CD for a November 14 release. You can check out the band out at myspace.com/crieshannah. - Blabbermouth.net