Thin Dark Line

The concept album has become one of the more popular trends for “scene” music recently, with bands like Coheed and Cambria, Armor For Sleep, and Boys Night Out releasing albums that tell a story through music. With “The Resolution,” Thin Dark Line (consisting of vocalist Bryan Barnes, guitarists Mike Barnes and Brent Kaminski, bassist Mike Lawson, and drummer Cheyne Truitt) throws their hat into the concept album ring. The 13 tracks on “The Resolution” take us on a journey through one man's problems in the world and how he chooses to deal with them. Produced by Matt Squire (Northstar, The Receiving End Of Sirens) and Paul Leavitt (Over It, Don’t Look Down), “The Resolution” offers straight-up catchy rock songs with a little indie rock mixed into it.

“The Resolution” opens up with a short intro, “The Revolution,” which is introduces us to the main character of the album. This leads into the inviting guitar riff and the tribal drumming of “Fire’s Got Nothin’ On Me,” a mid-paced track with very nice vocals and a hook that doesn’t let you go. “The Awesomeness,” TDL’s first single, begins with riveting guitars, followed with Bryan’s vocals, which fit the mood of the song perfectly. “Go Ahead And Jump” is one of the harder songs on the album, mixing bruising guitars with fast-paced drumming. “Powers Of Ten” is another intense track. One of the faster songs, menacing guitars fuse with Bryan’s voice very well here, and the group vocals are a nice touch at the end. “The Art and Architecture of the Mosaics” begins with a short drumbeat, followed by swooning vocals and dueling guitar work. TDL’s rhythm section (Lawson and Truitt) gives this album a lot of bounce and life, keeping the album from becoming stale. “All The Facts, None Of The Flavour” is another fast, hard-hitting track, displaying the band’s insane amount of energy. “Rites Of Spring” is probably the album’s poppiest song. This track will be going over and over in your brain for a bit. “Luna” is a slow, moody track that builds up considerably till the climatic ending. An outro, titled “The Resolution,” concludes the album with the character choosing his destination. Thin Dark Line delivers throughout each track and doesn’t leave you disappointed.

Not many bands write a concept album for their debut, but Thin Dark Line has done this, and has done it well. “The Resolution” has many high points, and very few low points. I was not expecting much from this album, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Thin Dark Line, and this album is one of my favorites this year. With Thin Dark Line, One Eleven Records has added a new element to their already stellar lineup. Big things await this band; so make sure to pick up “The Resolution,” it’ll be one of the better decisions you make this year.

Overall: 8.3/10
- Drew Beringer

An emotional album, “The Resolution” is a circle of a range of feelings made raw by endless clawing at the eyes and at each crevice. The vocalist has amazing range and he populates each song with a truly incredible harmony making his voice a secondary instrument. With hooks as deep as caverns, Thin Dark Line another in a seemingly long line of great bands from Maryland, blends crafty indie pop-punk and post-emo with rockin’ good guitar vibes and stunningly smart lyrics. Impressive debut for a band that’s sure to be on everyone’s radar real soon.
- J-Sin