Search - Glass Casket :: Desperate Man's Diaries

The Boys from N.C. are back!!! (4.5 Stars)

Sunshine the Werewolf | Canada | 06/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"GLASS CASKET - A Desperate Man's Diaries

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For those unaware I'll give you a little G.C. history about these cats from N.C. They released their debut album `We Are Gathered Here Today' in February of 2004 which turned some heads in hardcore and metal scene. Another little band called Between the Buried and Me, also from N.C. were good friends of the band and whenever they released their 2005 album `Alaska' they enlisted help from their friends in Glass Casket, taking both their drummer, Blake Richardson and one of their guitarists Dusty Waring. Myself... including many others thought this would be the end of Glass Casket. Luckily I was wrong!



A Desperate Man's Diaries, is a complex and chaotic as their debut... yet it comes off a bit more polished. It also seems as though they've paid extra special detail to the guitar playing by both Jake Troth and Waring. (Likely due to Waring's time sharing guitar duties with the masterful Paul Waggoner -btbam). Truthfully the BtBaM influence is really no more dominant than it had been on their debut, before the two had joined both bands. Vocals seem a bit more controlled this time around but fear not Adam Cody still keeps his brutal lows and his vicious highs... and even does some passionate spoken word. Range is important and I love hearing a vocalist that can grasp that. And rounding out the rhythm section with Richardson is bassist Sid Menon who provides a great wall of sound for the guitars to play off.



I still feel as though, these boys have yet to peak but if songs like `Redeemer' (which leads into the heartfelt closer `Name Above All Names') and `Post Traumatic Death'... they will be on to great things.



The only negative is that this is essentially a 7 song album with an intro and outro. Both of which are fantastic, but they could have included another song or two.



Favorite Song: Redeemer, Post Traumatic Death, and A Cork Stops the Whining.

-4.5 Stars.



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The truth

theJACKAL | ohio | 07/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"as a long standing fan of glass casket there is a lot to be said about this album. first are the obvious differences between "we are gathered here today" and "a desperate man's diaries" although there has always been grind influence in their music ADMD shows this a lot more. WAGHT was heavy and emotional but doesnt compare either lyrically or musically.

cody's lyrics are their first full length were centered around revenge and contempt for women. on this second full length the lyrics are centered around cody's emotional struggles, as anyone would have and can relate to when it comes to something as depressing as this. the lyrics are based on the suicide of cody's sister. his love for her is obviously demonstrated in his lyrics. the lyrics book doesnt even contain any of the spoken poetry. with lyrics like "the promise that on the other side of depression lies something worth surviving suicide for, would have turned out wrong." as everyone seems to know by now two members of glass casket have recently taken residence in btbam. so everyone finally gets it straight. they joined btbam a after we are gathered here today was released. and the two musical groups are going in different directions. glass casket going into a darker more depressing realm. mixing such musical genres as doom metal with heavy slow breakdowns, to grindcore with lightning fast blast beats, death metal with their tremelo picking fury. sweep picking is ever present a long with great guitar solos. this cd isnt for the ignorant. it can be interpreted as a novel. beginning with a mood setting prologue that dives in a furiously destructive second song. as the cd continues you can delve yourself into a disturbing aura of depression, self loathing, and hatred for both god and everything else that brings sadness in the world. this isnt any other death metal cd and to take it as one would be a crime against adam cody. as i'm sure the whole band shares in his struggle as close friends and long term band members. i hope you go out and pick up this cd because it is one of the best lps of this year musically, and one of the best of all times lyrically"

Glass Casket - "A Desperate Man's Diaries"

A.L | PL | 06/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was really sceptic about this release. Firstly, i didn't believe that Dustie and Blake could create inspiring work, being simultaneously members of BTBAM. Secondly, i was asking myself, if they are able to separate their sound from the mentioned BTBAM. With "A Desperate Man's Diaries" Glass Casket IMO became the completely shaped act, with own, quite recognizable sound. Chugging riffs, insane drumming, vox variety, complex songwriting. Someone may say: "BTBAM has it all". That's right, cuz songs like "Post Traumatic Death" or "Too Scared Of Live" are akin to their fellows work as never, but the rest is autonomic and original. Glass Casket, now is almost Death Metal band( very low growls are major part of vox) with strong Grind influences(drums!!). Glass Casket crushin' harder than BTBAM.Period. Less complex sonwriting is other noticable change. GC crew matured and it is the merit for me.

From the soothing and intoxicating "Phenomenon" through totally DM/ Grind "Genesis", thrashy "Less Like Human", mad and fast "I Slept" which has insane Slayer - ish tempo, to minimalistic album closer "Name Above All Names" which is kind of confession with piano in the background. The one big disadvantage is the lenght of an album - 33 minutes are too short to savour this inspiring sounds."