SpenniesKnowledge - A Gift Before I Go
July 5th 2006 05:11
KNOWLEDGE
A Gift before I Go (1998)
Asian Man Records
Produced by Steve Fontano & Knowledge
Link to amazon w/audio samples
Knowledge was the short-lived band started by Nick Traina after he finished up as vocalist for popular ska-core outfit Link 80, and before his timely suicide in 1997. The approach of this record is pretty much exactly the same as Link 80 minus the horns - however I think it leans more towards the hardcore and punk side of things. There is still a few ska songs, but it seems to be a bit more segregated, rather than blending the styles together.
In my opinion, Knowledge were a pretty good band and I really enjoy their energetic and raw style of thrashy hardcore. Nick Traina had an awesome voice for punk rock, screamy and growly at times and full of passion. For the ska songs though, I think he had a bit to learn regarding melody, but it fits in with the rest of the album this way. Their cover of Desmond Dekker's "Unity" I feel is done extremely welll - it retains what makes the song a classic, but gives it a fresh and edgy touch. "Inikwity" and "Stomp Out" are both good thrashy punk tunes, the latter has a bit more of a Suicidal Tendancies influence with big breakdowns and some super-crunchy guitar riffs. Throughout the 23 minutes of "A Gift Before I Go" the production is good enough while retaining a nice rawness to it; a reverb or echo effect on the vocals though make it sound a bit more 80's, which actually sounds really good to my ears - it suits the style well.
The ska songs on offer - "Clinton Youth" and "Better Things" sound a lot more like Link 80, although they don't sound as good. They're not really bad songs, I just think they're not that great and seem like they were only thrown in because they wanted some ska on the album, not because they're good tunes. I don't reach for the skip button or anything, but I think the faster stuff definitely outshines the slower stuff.
One of the strong points of the album would have to be the lyrical content and general perspective portrayed. Remembering that the band were still quite young, it's all full of hope ("Better Things", "Don't Give Up"), adversity ("Against The Rest", "Brotherhood") and just a general positive vibe, which can sometimes come across as cheesy or overdone, but Knowledge have so much passion coming through that they pull it off really well and you can hear the sincerity in the words.
The album closes with the chilling and stripped back "Gnat (I'm All Alone)" which is just Traina singing over a minimalist acoustic guitar. It's quite depressing to hear him sing lines like "My destiny / no escaping that for me" and it makes me wonder if he knew he would be taking his life not long after. It's a very haunting finish to an otherwise energy-filled positive album. I think Knowledge did their mix of hardcore punk and ska pretty well, although for me it's fairly reliant on Nick Traina's distinct vocals, because the music could sound like a lot of bands doing similar styles. While they were definitely not treading any new grounds, "A Gift Before I'm Gone" is a good record to have in the collection and pull out every now and again. Any self-respecting Link-80 fan should definitely own a copy.
A Gift before I Go (1998)
Asian Man Records
Produced by Steve Fontano & Knowledge
Link to amazon w/audio samples
In my opinion, Knowledge were a pretty good band and I really enjoy their energetic and raw style of thrashy hardcore. Nick Traina had an awesome voice for punk rock, screamy and growly at times and full of passion. For the ska songs though, I think he had a bit to learn regarding melody, but it fits in with the rest of the album this way. Their cover of Desmond Dekker's "Unity" I feel is done extremely welll - it retains what makes the song a classic, but gives it a fresh and edgy touch. "Inikwity" and "Stomp Out" are both good thrashy punk tunes, the latter has a bit more of a Suicidal Tendancies influence with big breakdowns and some super-crunchy guitar riffs. Throughout the 23 minutes of "A Gift Before I Go" the production is good enough while retaining a nice rawness to it; a reverb or echo effect on the vocals though make it sound a bit more 80's, which actually sounds really good to my ears - it suits the style well.
The ska songs on offer - "Clinton Youth" and "Better Things" sound a lot more like Link 80, although they don't sound as good. They're not really bad songs, I just think they're not that great and seem like they were only thrown in because they wanted some ska on the album, not because they're good tunes. I don't reach for the skip button or anything, but I think the faster stuff definitely outshines the slower stuff.
One of the strong points of the album would have to be the lyrical content and general perspective portrayed. Remembering that the band were still quite young, it's all full of hope ("Better Things", "Don't Give Up"), adversity ("Against The Rest", "Brotherhood") and just a general positive vibe, which can sometimes come across as cheesy or overdone, but Knowledge have so much passion coming through that they pull it off really well and you can hear the sincerity in the words.
The album closes with the chilling and stripped back "Gnat (I'm All Alone)" which is just Traina singing over a minimalist acoustic guitar. It's quite depressing to hear him sing lines like "My destiny / no escaping that for me" and it makes me wonder if he knew he would be taking his life not long after. It's a very haunting finish to an otherwise energy-filled positive album. I think Knowledge did their mix of hardcore punk and ska pretty well, although for me it's fairly reliant on Nick Traina's distinct vocals, because the music could sound like a lot of bands doing similar styles. While they were definitely not treading any new grounds, "A Gift Before I'm Gone" is a good record to have in the collection and pull out every now and again. Any self-respecting Link-80 fan should definitely own a copy.
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