Review: Warehouse 86 – “Rusted Memories”

BAND: WAREHOUSE 86

ALBUM: RUSTED MEMORIES

RELEASE DATE: JULY 2013

GENRE: POST HARDCORE/EMO/POP PUNK/VARIOUS OTHER GENRES

LABEL: INDEPENDENT

RATING: 7.5/10

What happens when Story of the Year mixes with post hardcore and a hint of Yellowcard? Warehouse 86 is born. Rusted Memories is an imperfect blend of pop punk, post hardcore, emo, and even a pinch of heavy metal thrown in; the combination is odd, but it is certainly unique.

Rusted Memories comes in at twenty-six minutes for eight songs, starting off with an interesting intro track called “Shadow’s Equinox.” The song is distorted and has an ominously tinny feeling to it, but poor production makes it feel muddier than it should; the voices have too much echo and are not always clear. This problem lessens as the album goes on, but Warehouse 86 cannot seem to completely lose the nagging production issues; the vocals tend to be the main point of complaint. All too often the vocals are unclear or poorly blended.

The pacing of Rusted Memories is very nice; slower songs nicely break up the album, but none ever bring the album to a screeching halt. The instrumentals are very nice on Rusted Memories. The guitar work is heavy, yet still has a distinct melody throughout, and the rhythm section is chunky, adding an ominous feeling even during the clean interludes. The vocals are solid, but can often come across as a bit too whiny or nasally, often sounding reminiscent of Yellowcard or Oasis.

The highlight of Rusted Memories is “Drift,” a straight up power chord rock song. “Drift” just powers on through three and a half minutes of catchy vocals, chugging guitars, and slow drums; the song sounds like “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard. The problem with Rusted Memories is that after “Drift,” the album picks up the pace with some faster guitars, double kick drum work, and the like, but too many of the songs become unremarkable.

Warehouse 86 has shown potential to become the Oasis of the post hardcore generation, and that is not a bad thing. Rusted Memories is far from being a perfect album, but it is a refreshing gem in a landscape of dull rocks. Given the time to hone their abilities, Warehouse 86 could be headlining Warped Tour in just a few years. Rusted Memories isn’t a classic, but it paves the way for Warehouse 86 classics to come.