Band: pmtoday
Title: In Medias Res
Label: Rise Records
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. Thoughts In Transits
2. People Are Machines
3. Goodbye, Blue Monday
4. Progress is a Lemon
5. Don’t Exist
6. I Am Wrong
7. Sad World
8. Soma Holiday
9. Composing A Commercial Product
10. A Convenient Literary Device for Ending Short Stories and Books
Perseverance is not the word that immediately comes to mind when I think of most bands; however, when thinking of pmtoday it certainly fits. This four-piece progressive rock band has been around and unsigned for quite a while, but they never gave up. I still remember their self-titled EP back in 2005 that was more screamo than their now progressive rock style yet it was still very catchy. Then in 2007 they released their first full-length And Then The Hurricane, which fits in more with their current sound. I hope their recent signing with Rise Records will get them the recognition they deserve. This is definitely not a release you expect from Rise Records. When I think of Rise I think of post-hardcore, but this album throws that thinking out the window.
The first thing I noticed about this album was the guitars. In a simple word, they are amazing. The sharp, bursting guitar riffs are very pleasing to the ears. The album starts with sort of a slower acoustic sounding track “Thoughts In Transit,” but don’t let that deter you from following up with the rest of the album. This album is a musical masterpiece. Vocally, all four band members pitch in to give the album a great feel. The whole album is full of indie pop/rock lyrics that everyone can identify with whether it is love, faith, or growing up.
My favorite song on the album is “Sad World” that has some of the best guitars and drums on the album. It is also one of the faster songs on the album. The lyrics of the song most people can relate to. They talk about people becoming machines and creatures of habit because as the song says, “All the people here are assembled in factories. We all work, eat, sleep, repeat. Everyone is a machine. All the people here are sporting looks of fallacy.
We believe we’re free but I’m still beating my heart to the rhythm of hypnopedia.”
Overall: I really enjoyed this album. I have been a fan of pmtoday for years and am glad to see that they finally got signed. This album is a solid Rise debut release and is a must buy for any progressive indie rock fan.