Description
New Day Rising – “Memoirs of Cynicism” LP
One amongst many that were part of the “emocore” explosion in the mid 90s, New Day Rising were perhaps remembered for their Husker Du inspired name (even though sound-wise they bore no resemblance to the Minneapolis trio), and also their split 7″s with Despair and Atlas Shrugged. Their sound was early an incarnation of screamo, driven by a further interest in dark, metallic aggression along with an exploration of more melodic sounds to act as an occasional contrast. Hearing them again now, I’m instantly put in mind of screamy hardcore bands of the 90s/00s: Underclass, Iscariote, Unionsuit and (the slightly better known) early recordings by Converge/Cave In . Crucially, this album was released around the same time as Boy Sets Fire’s This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born – which has not just similar levels of intensity, but also a shared aspiration for reaching something new, beyond the hardcore formula.
Memoirs Of Cynicism, the band’s only full length, was released as CD by Eulogy Records in 1997 and has been newly remastered for this 25th anniversary vinyl edition by James Plotkin at Plotkinworks, with all new artwork and layout.
