The Classified
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The Classified

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Music

The best kept secret in music

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"Sandiegopunk.com"

The Classified : Of All the Promises To Break
Galactic Pop Records
9.5 out of 10
2002


The Classified have always and will always mean rock to me. There's no way around it, they simply cannot be beaten. With every song, the band takes intense, distorted guitar riffs, rough, yet soothing vocals, and attention grabbing solos to create music that will move you both physically and emotionally (although they're far from being emo).

Of All the Promises to Break, the band's sophomore album and first release since re-forming with Eric Shefstad on bass and Eric (Fonz) Fontanella on guitar, showcases development both in the lyric writing process and music. On this album, the band emerges with their own distinguishable sound. More so than in their debut release, lead singer Noel Jordan delivers personal, seemingly autobiographical lyrics that are broad enough for most listeners to identify with, yet deep enough to grab you and convey hate, pain, sorrow, hope, and more, all at the same time.

It seems almost impossible to describe this album. Imagine Furious IV being mixed with some of the harder elements of Thrice and you might start to get the idea. Yet at the same time, the Classified mixes in technical aspects (most evident in the "talk box" Fontanella uses to distort his back-up vocals) that are unique to them and add greatly to the overall feel of the CD. Even with all that, you still have to account for their sing-a-long choruses that put across more power than that whimpy stuff NFG is singing and are easier to understand than the blur of words being spewed from the latest hardcore band.

Being able to smoothly transfer from aggressive energy ("By the Wayside"), to upbeat rock ("Part of Me"), to the almost anthem like qualities delivered in "Disaster" (hey, the band even throws in an acoustic track at the end, what more could you want?), the Classified seems to feed off of the work of nearly every style in the booming punk community of today to create a new, refreshing style that truly raises the bar of what good music is and should be.
-Joel Scheingross
- Joel Scheingross


"Digitalcity.com"

The Classified


The Classified delivers consistently good tunes with gruff, take-no-shit vocals and enough hard metal to arm themselves against the risks that accompany exposed vulnerability. It's a style you might call muscular. The rare moments when they crank down the volume are gems, like on the intro to the song, "On Forever." About every other piece by these gifted poets is excellent. If you pay attention to the angry words that run through each number, you'll realize that what they're playing is Relationship Music a la War of the Roses. The Classified’s music is devoid of compassion, the music of not caring. Or perhaps caring too much. -- Dylan Roberts


- Dylan Roberts


Discography

"Seven Years Bad Luck" 1999
Alphabet Records

"Of All The Promises To Break" 2002
Galactic Pop Records

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Solid, uncompromising, aggressive, even muscular - many adjectives are thrown around when trying to describe the thick, rockin' sound of the San Diego band, The Classified. It's rather uncommon to see a band give way to uniqueness in broad influence rather than imitation and swagger at the line where rock and roll and punk rock meet.

The Classified has been a staple and an oddity in San Diego since 1997. Promoters, scratching their heads and trying to fit square shaped pegs into star shaped holes, have given them the pleasure and fortune of sharing the stage with Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Rocket From the Crypt, Social Distortion, Phantom Planet, The Juliana Theory, Guttermouth, Millincollin, Fluf, Buck O Nine and more. Defying the odds and pleasing such diverse audiences, The Classified has always brought the rock.

Flashing forward through a few years of steady rise which include the well received album "Seven Years Bad Luck," countless comps, and constant shows, the band hiccuped in early 2001. Members Scott Wolf (lead guitar) and Sean Scurra (bass) decided to leave the band and pursue other interests. Noel Jordan (vocals, guitar) and Brad Bohensky (drums) pressed on and quickly found a new guitarist in the form of Brad's former band mate and longtime friend Eric "Fonz" Fontanella. Some time and a few auditions later, a weary band decided to try out the homeless man living under Noel's pool table and added Eric Shefstad on bass. With new influence and a renewed desire, the band was back in full force by August 2001.

Out of uncertainty, turmoil and more then a few handshake deals forgotten comes 2002's "Of All The Promises to Break," The Classified's disillusioned, yet somehow hopeful sophomore release. Enjoy.