Search - 108 :: Songs of Separation

Each moment without you i die...

Khyron | 03/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe you're here because you decided to seek out all of the bands that had ties to Rage Against the Machine. Maybe you're here because you bought Coheed and Cambria's CD and decided to check out some of the other releases from Equal Vision (if that's the case go buy Refused's EVERLASTING EP which Equal Vision also released once you're done here). Or maybe some old school NYHC kid (like me) laughed in the face of your Thursday bootlegs or Freya CD and pointed you towards this band. Whatever the reason was I'm glad you're here.

108 didn't start anything. They didn't invent chugging away on the C chord while screaming about deeply personal issues (see: Bad Brains). They weren't the first band to walk out on stage, dedicate their performance to some deity, strike a single note and cause what could best be described as pandamonium (See: Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch...just kidding). They just did those things better than anybody else ever did before them and ever has since.

Their first album, Holyname, was a one track 10 song CD. A very gutsy move for a band in the early nineties, especailly when you consider the cost of recording a CD before you could turn your computer into a recording studio. Holyname featured a 15 minute speech by the lead singer concerning the lyrical content of one of the album's songs, something which could have been addressed in the liner notes but hey, it wasn't my record to write =)

Songs of Separation, however, took a much more tradtional approach towards album construction (1song=1track=happy listeners)but sacrificed nothing in terms of cohesiveness of the music. This album floooooooows and is as much a credit to outstanding producing as it is to the guys who wrote the songs. The albums first track "Opposition" begins with distant feedback that leads to distorted chords and quite possibly the best scream ever recorded (Jonathan Davies screming "Are you ready?" on "Blind" doesn't hold a candle). Dasa's vocals were the focal point of this band and he sang with a range not found elsewhere in the HC scene. With start/stop breakdowns all over the place and guitar riffs that would thread themselves effortlessly through out the songs, 108 took a genre of music and RAN with it.

Other standouts from the album include "Son of Nanda" and "Solitary" which briefly feature Kate-O Eight (Project Kate) on back up vocals. "Thorn", however, is perhaps this albums greatest triumph. I credit this song for introducing me to the HC scene 10 years ago...it's that good.

There are no weak links to the chain here, people. What you get is a landmark Krishna-core album that many old timers like myself consider to be an essential recording from this genre. 108 recorded 1 more studio LP after this, 1996's "three fold misery", another step forward for what could have been a very big band. And just like Quicksand, Mind Over Matter and Refused they bowed out before their time. But just like those other bands they left us with music that is just as heavy and inspiring today as it was when it was released.

To get a taste of how powerful this band was live check out "One Path For Me Through Destiny" on Lost & Found Records."