OH, MANHATTAN
Spiritual Warfare
[Indianola Records]
Verdict: 8/10

Coming straight out of the ‘Dirty Dirty’ South are Atlanta, GA’s own OH, MANHATTAN. Rocking a style of hardcore/metalcore/post-hardcore (too many different tags to choose from) that rivals and pays tribute to EVERY TIME I DIE, BAYSIDE and HE IS LEGEND. Blending together the dirty rock n roll southern groove that has made ETID such a spectacle and tossing in melody and clean vocals ala HIL. Going right for the jugular with opening track “Guilty Blessings Pt II”, the swagger and dirty vibe instantly grabs the listener and swings easily and comfortably into the borderline pretty, cleanly sung, melodic change up. Almost ADD in its diversity, it bounces back and forth between the two styles making it their own. It’s on other tracks that the post-hardcore tag comes into play, again still crossing the genres easily, it’s that dirty southern groove that keeps it interesting. “The Anti Davinci” is another example of the boundaries this band has no problems crossing and mixing into a sound all their own. Full of energy and passion, OH, MANHATTAN have managed to change the game up and made an undefinable genre. One that will surely become the norm. “Face Of Another” seems to perfectly sum up, well everything, with the line “This Broadcast Is Dead!”. With the release of Spiritual Warfare, OH, MANHATTAN will have made their mark on the music world. One that should last a lifetime and satisfy even the most jaded of listeners. In a time when music starts to become stale and too much of the same ol same ol, Atlanta pumps out yet another game changer. This is OH, MANHATTAN. — by Jon Hole

SECOND OPINION
Verdict: 8.5/10
Metalcore and post-hardcore are very busy and overplayed genre of music. Bands try to mesh screamo with more alternative influences, where sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. You’ve got Silverstein, where it works pretty well. You’ve got Of Mice & Men, where it works extremely well. And then you’ve got a new band named Oh, Manhattan, who aren’t from New York despite the connotation, in fact, they’re from Georgia. Though they have more post-hardcore roots than metalcore, they are still playing music in what I think of as a dying genre, just like the two bands I named above. But they make sure that their music is top-notch and not overproduced. Though they sound like something I’ve heard a million times before, they do it very well, with high-energy metal anthems and a blend of screams, yells, and clean vocals. The tracks on Spiritual Warfare come fast with memorable guitar riffs, for example “The Anti-Da Vinci” and “Giving Up Your Ghosts”. Songs such as “Guilty Blessings Pt. II” and “Ian Curtis” show a more down-to-earth, emotional side of the band, while they don’t lack a rocking-out attitude either. The latter proves that they can change the mood of the listener well, as this single song made the record worth it for me. The suicide-themed closer was a very memorable ending. The lyrics are great throughout the record. For me, if the lyrics don’t affect the listener, the album isn’t worth much. But this record is worth more than a lot of albums I’ve heard lately. Spiritual Warfare has themes that tug at your insides, they provoke change like a punk band, and most of all, Oh, Manhattan sounds sincere. And throughout the majority of the album, it seems like every time I wanted heavier moments, they came. When I wanted softer moments, I found them just around the corner. There were some computer-added effects, but Oh, Manhattan’s sound is still very raw. This album is really not missing much – maybe more originality, but it’s just a debut. There are greater things to come from this band, but Spiritual Warfare is a fantastic start. — by Tim Dodderidge

THIRD OPINION
Verdict: 7/10
Post-hardcore is a tricky genre. Many of its bands tend to offer up music that sticks to a certain formula, and innovation is often scarce. While not completely reinventing the wheel, Oh, Manhattan, from Atlanta, GA, offers up their take on the genre with some satisfying results. Spiritual Warfare opens with “Guilty Blessings Pt. II”, which, while not the strongest track, shows off the band’s main attributes. These include a decent growl, above-average clean vocals, and interesting guitar lines and musical direction. “The World Ends with You” is a very strong track, with the band giving off some Mars Volta vibes at times, although with a much more streamlined sound. “Face of Another” is another standout, with excellent guitar lines and fills, and perhaps the strongest vocals on the record. “To The Gallows” is a fantastic track, and far and away the highlight. Everything comes together, crunching and sometimes dissonant guitars, unique melodies, and the other instruments all supporting each other to create something great. The album closes with “Ian Curtis” which again shows the band’s ability to make music that can surprise you with its overall quality. At their best, these tracks show how post-hardcore is supposed to sound. Oh, Manhattan, has a very nice experimental edge to their music, which enhances their sound and makes it different and unique. However, it doesn’t always save them from the normal pitfalls of the genre, which would be having a sometime generic sound, or trying to be too heavy and “metal”. The stronger tracks on this record are some of the stronger tracks I’ve heard this year, and outweigh the negatives by far. This is an album worth checking out, and a band worth supporting. — by Trevor Kirch

aaannd a Fourth Opinion
Verdict: 8.5/10

Remember how gaga everyone went over LETLIVE’s Fake History last year?  That album almost single-handedly reinvigorated everyone’s opinion on post-hardcore, bringing to mind the energy and caustic edge that AT THE DRIVE IN was famous for.  Plus, the album was fun as hell to listen to.  Well if you loved that album, make room on your playlist for your newest obsession.  Spiritual Warfare captures the energy found in Fake History with more than a little southern rock flavor added in for good measure (see early MEMPHIS MAY FIRE or EVERY TIME I DIE), which is evident from the first notes of “The Anti DaVinci”.  The track storms out of the gate with an interesting riff and leads into the catchy chorus.  However, the one point that most will notice right away is the clean vocalist.  He sounds a bit out of place at first, almost like an alt/rock singer, with actual range and inflection, but as the record goes on, his voice becomes the almost-perfect complement to the harsh vocals.  Also, while breakdowns are utilized, the band actually know how to write a song, so the boring verse-chorus-verse-breakdown-chorus pattern overused by pretty much every post-hardcore band is occasionally deviated from by the band, which is more than welcome.  If you read anything from the review, know this: if you have ever liked post-hardcore, then make room for OH, MANHATTAN in your year-end best-of list.  They’re that good.

Stream: “The Anti DaVinci”      -by Nicholas Senior