Acceptance Review

Latest CD - PHANTOM

Photo by Nick Shuley

Acceptance Review - Phantom, Released April 26, 2005 (Sony BMG)

By Scott Thomas

Well… once again I’ve been lucky enough to have been turned on to some really cool music by a member of the Sony Street Team. My good friend Nick asked me to check out this band call Acceptance and their new album Phantom. I said sure, I’ll give it a quick listen… I’m always looking for a band that can make me sit up and take notice… You know… be “Recognized!” I haven’t stopped listening to it for two days. I can tell you this much… these guys have an eerie inspirational side to their sound. The feel of the music is free and wide open with well written sing along lyrics, smart vocal harmonies, snappy crisp rhythms, infectious percussions, and ala Steve Steven’s guitar hooks. If you’re searching for a feeling from the dark side… you won’t find it here.

Well… I was suppose to meet Nick at Emo’s in Austin to check out this Hot New Sony Band. Nick put me on the guest list. Benefits of having your own guitar site. Their show started about 10 minutes late due to a bad amp head, So Kaylan Cloyd – Guitar had to plug into someone else’s head that was left on the stage. He went from an Orange to a Marshall. Yeah!!! When you need a real amp… Marshall! From the first song to the last, their sound was right on. You can feel a good vibe from them and you knew that they were really enjoying what they were doing. Jason’s Vena – Vocals, has the look and the persona to go with his awesome vocals. The Guitarz were smartly played too!

Musically, Acceptance is an eclectic brew for sure, largely because of the wellspring of influences each member brings to the band. Forming in Seattle, WA, Acceptance signed their particular view of alternative pop/rock not only due to their pure rocking influences, but also because of their candid pop preferences. Acceptance first got together in 1998 following a period during which the quartet discovered their distinct creative path, they started playing their first shows, enjoying enthusiastic praise. This opened the way to them recording their first disc. The EP The Lost Words appeared in 1999. Acceptance continued to tour intensively, playing opening concerts for crews such as the Juliana Theory, Element 101, and Bleach. These guys are thematically unified for two reasons: They've all had their hearts broken, and they've all seen the light. Though they don't consider themselves a "Christian rock band,” they believe it is about putting faith in the Lord, and all of the members thank God in their liner notes.

Current line-up: Jason Vena – Vocals, Christan McAlhaney – Guitar, Kaylan Cloyd – Guitar, Ryan Zwiefelhofer – Bass, and Nick Radovanovic - Drums

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Listening to Phantom's NEW CD: From the very first song, I remember thinking that there is a chance for a new successful rock band. Finally! A good punk-revival band comes out of the blue! “I think this band is what the summer 2005 is really looking for." If all goes right, I’ll wake up one morning and they could be on Good Morning America’s Concert Series. I admit, I’m a sucker for a great guitar hooks and these guys lay them down like pros. There are plenty of sing-a-long anthems to play with here, and lovelorn pop-rock extravaganzas to bounce along with. The bass and drums on Phantom is what help this album nose one step ahead of the pack. I think Jason’s vocals are some of the best I’ve heard in awhile. I thought… he can’t sing like that at a live show…. Well… I’ve seen the band live and he sounds just as good. Furthermore, if you’ve got even a passing interest in emo-rock you might get captivated listening to Acceptance. However, with emo-rock being so over-saturated right now, it’s hard not to want to give these guys a chance. The songwriting is flawless.

Well… the rest of the show went off without a hitch. I hope they get the a/c in their van fixed. It’s hot here in Texas this time of year. Acceptance did 5 of their best songs at Emo’s. Overall, they lived up to the what I’ve heard on the cd. Good things come to those that know they’ve got what it takes to go platinum. There’s potential here for Acceptance to do really well (they have major label backing after all) but, until they define there sound a little more, they could be lumped in with all the other Indie bands.

1-take cover 5/5 great introductory song to there cd. catchy tune great vocals.

2-so contagious 5/5 second best song on the cd very catchy great vocals and guitar playing.

3-in too far 5/5 another great song.

4-the letter 4.5/5 good song, good vocals.

5-different 5/5 best song on cd. if they ever have a release this will be their first single.

6-ad astra per aspera 5/5 no singing in this song just guitar playing short only about 1:30 or so.

7-this conversation is over 4.5/5 another great song.

8-over you 4.5/5 catchy song, good vocals.

9-breathless 5/5 great song amazing vocals.

10-in the cold 4.5/5 another good song. great guiter playing.

11-permanent 5/5 third best song on the cd catchy tune, good vocals.

12-glory us 5/5 great concluding song to a great cd.

… overall this is a great cd. very catchy and amazing vocals.

Acceptance Video - Different

"Critics have their purposes, and they're supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did." - Duke Ellington

Updated: 2/25/07