Soundtrack to a Headrush (Dig)

Includes bonus track. Vagrant. 2005.

"This is the sound that sparks the fire," sings Matt Breen on Emanuel's debut album, and it's easy to see his point. Soundtrack To A Headrush is filled with songs that immediately burn into the brain, from the rampaging guitar histrionics of "You Cannot Rape The Willing" to the measured emotional pull of "Make Tonight." The thing is, there is no specific sound to speak of - this is the kind of album that immediately sets off a game of guess the influence. Was that chord change more reminiscent of Helmet or Black Flag? Does that rhythm sound more like The (International) Noise Conspiracy or Cave In? Was that just an AC/DC riff I heard? Fortunately, the Louisville, KY band's unflinching intensity and Breen's throat-ravaging growl is distinctly its own. And sometimes that's enough to keep things ablaze. -- Aidin Vaziri