Garrison re-release 'The Bend Before The Break' on Iodine Recordings

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 - 20:19

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Thomas

Nearly 23 years after its initial release on Revelation Records, Boston post-hardcore/emo legends Garrison are re-releasing their debut “The Bend Before the Break” for the first time as a full length LP, including “You're Devastated, I'm Sure” and “Untitled”, previously unavailable on vinyl. You can pick up your copy via Iodine Recordings HERE. The new B-Side includes rare and previously unreleased material that spans the band’s history from 1998 to 2004, including their first 7” record “24” and their split EP with UK’s Hundred Reasons, all fully remastered and featuring all new artwork by Dan McCarthy.

Shortly after forming, the band found themselves signed to Revelation Records where they released their first EP, 'The Bend Before the Break,' which harnessed a raw and genuine youthful energy. "I'm still immensely proud of that release," says guitarist Joseph Grillo about the release. "It captures a moment of my youth in sound that brings a smile to my face, my only hope is that it might do that for the folks who listen to it."

For the recording of 'The Bend Before The Break', Garrison found themselves holed up in the studio with none other than producer Brian McTernan (Battery, Be Well). "It was extremely humbling to work on something with Brian McTerrnan and know it was going to be coming out on a label that had a bigger reach then my local zip code," states Grilllo on that first recording expierence. "Sometimes your first experiences of things linger longer than you think they might, your first road trip, first tour, first time visiting a new country etc and this EP looms larger in my mind because of that."

'The Bend Before The Break' opens with “Serious Heavy Drama,” which immediately hooks you with its melody, and slowly builds to a brooding and emotional breakdown where singer Joseph Grillo screams his words in a final emotional crescendo. The EP rises with pop melodies such as “Harlow” (a song that remained a fan favorite even after three more releases) and ends with the somber and dark “Untitled,” embracing more of a Midwest-Emo theme, and bringing to mind a band like Mineral. Also included is Garrison's take on the Smiths classic 'Panic,' which stands out for Grillo among the other B-sides. "I was always pretty proud of it. They are not an easy band to "make your own" but i think we gave it the best crack we could at paying homage to the original - which we were huge fans of - and having it still sound like it belongs on a Garrison record."

Born in Boston during the heyday of the prolific late ’90s post-hardcore scene, Garrison found its footing alongside heavy hitters like Piebald, Cave In and Converge. Somehow seamlessly combining technical guitar riffs, melodic vocals, and heavy breakdowns, Garrison came at you with a sound that set them apart from the other players in the scene. Sure, you could retrace their influences to the likes of Quicksand, Drive Like Jehu, and Texas is the Reason, but one thing you were never able to do with Garrison was fit them neatly into one genre.

The Bend Before The Break track list: