Band: Second Thief
Title: Prelude
Label: N/A
Release Date: TBA
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
01. Hold Your Breath
02. Such A Waste
03. Monument
When I was younger, I had this friend that loved to perform random acts of e-brake. So you always had to be extremely careful when he was in your car because throughout the winter months when the roads were icy, he would make it a habit to reach over and pull the emergency brake at various times while you were driving. That’s a lot like Second Thief… spontaneous and unpredictable.
Second Thief is a 4-piece out of Jacksonville, Florida that plays what is typically referred to these days as deathcore. Breakneck guitars over driving blast-beat drums with some of the craziest vocals I’ve heard in a while. This guy must gargle a mixture of boric acid and the tears of small children. It’s practiced chaos. And look, Mikey likes it.
Right out of the gate you’ll find a whole to like about “Prelude” if you’re any kinda fan of this style of music. The first track starts with a bang, well actually a scream, and the EP doesn’t let up until it’s through. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. There is a moment right at the beginning of the last track where you’ll hear about 7 seconds of soft ivory. But just when you’re thinking “Ballad?!”… bam!! away they go again.
If you picked up the full-length release “Threshold” that they put out early last year or either of their two previous EPs, you’re probably a fan… and are probably ready for more of the same. Which is what you get with “Prelude”. Second Thief has a sound that’s similar to I Built The Cross, At The Throne Of Judgment, and A Mirror Of Dead Faces. High octane deathcore that pounds out of the speakers and fills the room.
Lyrically, Second Thief doesn’t pull any punches. This is all about laying it on the line and reaching the lost with the gospel. Consider the EP opener, “Hold Your Breath”, which says, “so much prayer is wasted on speaking / instead of listening / if you never take action / don’t be surprised when nothing happens / we waste so much life on waiting / instead of sparking reaction / it’s for your own good that you learn to live by experience / where will you run when your whole world comes caving in? / woah! / take a breath, hold it in, now run / where will you run when your whole world comes caving in? / who will you turn to when you know you can’t save yourself? / there is hope if you look / there is truth / it’s right in front of you”
Or how about “Such A Waste”, a worshipful song that says, “this is a new day / a new beginning to my life / I turn my back on my ways / Lord, give me the strength to meditate on Your word and to live for Your glory / remove me these pieces that remove me from You / give me the words to say to this dying generation and the means to see this through / let them see Your love / let them see Your truth / let my screams be heard, Jesus”.
I e-mailed the band a couple of questions about their ministry focus. Here’s part of the response: “…as a band, we want to mix our passion for ministry with heavy music that hopefully will stand out in some way amidst the thousands of heavy bands around today… we believe in being a Christian band, not being Christian’s in a band. Everything we do is a legitimate attempt in reaching every person we come in contact with for Christ.”
The standout track was “Monument” which is just a killer song all the way around. And was that a deathcore tambourine? Nice.
Overall: While the market seems a bit saturated with deathcore bands, Second Thief’s “Prelude” EP is short but sweet and worth a listen. Check it out and release your inner metal head.
www.myspace.com/secondthief