Well ladies and gentleman, it has finally happened. A Post-Hardcore band has actually made my ears bleed. Whats worse, is that I actually caught myself enjoying it. Now, before you all go running to the barn for your pitchforks and torches, I do believe that I am entitled to a fair trial so please just hear me out. If it would please the court, I would like to present my first and only piece of evidence; the new EP "Transitions" by Houston, Texas band CONCEPTS.

The EP is bookended by one of the heaviest pairs of songs that I have heard in a fairly decent amount of time. "Posthumous" and "Abominations" are absolutely ruthless and relentless with very believable and yet somehow still extremely powerful emotion. Obviously edited and overlaid or not, those screams are as evil, angry, and down right nasty as any other out there on the scene today and I dare you to prove me otherwise.

The "meat" if you will of "Transitions" features three tracks all of which use brilliant structures, harmonies, and tempos to make you really feel the music while you hear it which is an absolute rarity in Post Hardcore music today. Yes, the guitars, drums, and bass are extremely compressed, but to let that stop you from hearing the depth and musicianship that "Transitions" has to offer would be to commit a far greater crime than what I'm defending myself against from now.

Quite frankly, the final argument I will offer to the courts in my defense may sound like I'm shooting myself in the foot but again, I need you to hear me out. The entire EP comes complete with clean singing. A lot of it actually. At times I can swear that lyrically I'm hearing a cross between Jared Leto and The Rev, but vocally I hear something absolutely jaw dropping that I can't even humor myself with trying to accurately describe.The belting highs and painful mids make this band not only marketable, but actually enjoyable.

In closing I ask the court and the jury to look past your preconceived notions on Post-Hardcore music. Drop the assumptions and forget the blanket description society has placed upon the genre and hear "Transitions" with a clear and unbiased ear. If you can do this then maybe, just maybe you can join me on this side of the line and find me guilty not for the crime of liking "bad music", but instead find me guilty of finding you your next guilty pleasure. The defense rests.