Search - Panic Division :: Versus

Overlooked hidden talent! amazing

A. Martin | Los Angeles, CA USA | 04/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A band who it seems have been overlooked for far too long, The Panic Division's blend of aggressive, punchy rock and blasting choruses are not to be ignored. "Versus," the album originally recorded and released by the band themselves almost a year from its re-release on The Militia Group, compiles 11 shimmering rock songs. Electronic loops and blasting guitars find their way through the breed of rip-off bands out there, with rather ordinary but nonetheless catchy vocal stylings and melodies.



The title track, "Versus," rips. As the drums blast away and the song kicks into full gear, you can't help but be suprised at the way the song sinks its teeth into you. The electronic looping is done suprisingly well, and breaks the band out of its shell, shining through on tracks like "Paradise" and "Sweet Devotion" especially. Truly, "Sweet Devotion," with its atmospheric intro and mad riffing guitars, sounds huge, enormous. Key tracks "Songs Of A Dead Poet" and "Paradise" all expose the insane catchiness and passion of the band, and while at moments the production might sound a little weak, overall it's obvius this band is meant to and do sound enormous, especially in their impressive live act.



Noisy and intense, "Versus" is what happens when a band who know their favorite styles in rock and hardcore make an album that is purely driven on melodies and original, interesting electronic synth looping. This album is absolutely insane, and incredibly underrated, and will undoubtedly pump up anyone's day. Go grab yourself a copy already."

AbsolutePunk.net Review For: The Panic Division - Versus

Rohan Kohli | 01/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's do a little mind experiment, shall we? Take The Jealous Sound, de-indie-fy them, inject them with a 300% dose of hard, heavy rock, heap layers upon layers of dark, atmospheric, electronic textures on the band's palette, and marvel at the product: The Panic Division. The band's Militia Group debut, Versus, is an exceptionally crafted, melancholy, dark, electronic-based, spacey, heavy-hitting, pop-tinged rock record; yes, it's as good as it sounds.



Whereas many bands these days scatter electronics throughout their songs simply as an afterthought, The Panic Division actually writes their songs based off the electronic loops they create. Such a process results in a very genuine sounding record: the electronic loops and keyboards weave in and out of the songs gracefully, never coming or leaving abruptly, but always setting the mood and helping to carry the songs where they need to go. Weaned on such artists as Aphex Twin, DJ Shadow, and Snapcase, singer Colton Holliday says the band tries to combine electronic and rock music "the right way." Well, Mr. Holliday, The Panic Division has succeeded. With flying colors.



When I listen to Versus, I am immersed in a world all my own. The mood the album creates is one I empathize with: melancholy, and a sense of loneliness. Err, I guess that makes me sound like I'm depressed, but I'm not. It's just a warm feeling to know that other people can create music that sounds the way I feel at times-after all, isn't that what music is about? Whenever I listen to the album, I feel like I'm wandering around in a desolate, urban, city late at night, just walking and thinking. Yeah, that's pretty weird, I know, but the album does that to me. And I love every second of it.



The rich, textural electronic samples perfectly complement the heavy, hard-hitting guitars, and though I've said this before, the fusion of the two really is remarkable. The synth loops are deep and expressive, the swirling, oft-delayed guitars are full-bodied and ready to smack you in the face, and the vocals and harmonies are smooth and melodious. The production is nice and thick with the guitars, but allows for some breathing room too-it fits the music perfectly. If you were reading this review to figure out whether or not to buy the album, the answer is a resounding yes. Well done, The Panic Division, well done.



--Rohan Kohli/AbsolutePunk.net"

Wow

Chris | 12/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is full of energy and flavor. It has driving guitars, drums, and bass, great vocal melodies, and synth parts which blend together to make something very solid and very powerful. The entire album easily paints an inspiring environment. I do not find the music on this album to be generic either, because the pictures this album paints for me are something definately fresh. Here's my rundown...



1.) "Versus" - Great opening song. Has a lot of energy and flavor. 5/5

2.) "Goodbyes" - Another fast paced song with cool snyths (this album has a lot of those). There's a lot of feeling in the vocals too. 5/5

3.) "Automatic Synthetic" - A little more of the same. Not as good as the first too, but a good song. 4/5

4.) "Paradise" - More feeling then the songs before it. Nice driving chorus. Still fast. 5/5

5.) "Songs of A Dead Poet" - Still fast. Great song. If you liked the tracks before it, you'll like this one too probably. 5/5

6.) "Little Child" - The album changes pace here. Slower electronica song. Very relaxing. 5/5

7.) "Sweet Devotion" - Perfect jumping beat on this one. The guitars are heavier on this one too. The bridge is crazy, with screaming and whatnot. You could say this song "rocks". 5/5

8.) "Easy Target" - Another change of pace, which is a good thing. Very catchy. Radio song? I hope so, this stuff is way better then screamo crap. 5/5

9.) "Questions and Answers" - Back to the speediness. Very catchy chorus. Yeah, you get it by now. 5/5

10.) "Delta" - Another slower song. Perhaps the highlight of the album. Cool stuff. 5/5

11.) "DWI" - Ends on a fast note. Nothing you haven't heard already on here, but it ends the album well. 5/5



Wow. Way cool album. I hope you buy it. CAUSE YOU SHOULD. Modern hard rock music done very well. It's got everything I need... vocal melodies, energy, and enough flavor to keep me coming back for more!"