Band : H2O

Album title : Nothing To Prove

Label : Bridge Nine

Distributor : Hardlife Promotion - CNR

Release date : 27/05/2008

Release : CD

If the first thing that came through your mind when seeing there's a review for an H2O album was: "Hey! Do they still exist?", then we are likeminded spirits! Indeed, after the release of their 2001 album Go! On major label MCA, the guys kinda lost the drive and lust somewhat. For a lot of bands the step towards a major label works, but in the case of thése watery minds (joke)...and even though they had sought out the cont(r)act themselves...it worked very much the opposite way! The label followed the album up with the All We Want EP (comprised of three studio songs and two live ones) in October 2002, but that was the last they could press out of the successful Punk hardcore act. 2003 found singer Toby Morse involved in the "all-star" Hardcore project Hazen Street, which also included singers Freddy Cricien (Madball), guitarists Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory) and David Kennedy (Box Car Racer), bassist Hoya Roc (Madball), and drummer Mackie (Bad Brains). Towards the end of 2004, the guys got their taste back, teaming up with Stretch Arm Strong and With Honor for a US tour under the theme "Hardcore Against Fur"!

The beginning of H2O has a very humoristic touch to it, the band formed in the early '90s by Sick Of It All roadie Toby Morse in order to provide that band a support whenever none was around! It's in those days that the band developed their specific take on New York Hardcore by adding a touch of Melodic Punk to it. A style which would make the band popular enough to serve as an example in the late '90s and early new millenium years. Originally, the line-up included guitarist Rusty Pistachio, bassist Eric Rice, and drummer Max Capshaw, the latter leaving after the 1995 European SOIA tour which H2O supported. The band then evolved to a 5-piece with the incorporation of guitarist Todd Morse and drummer Todd Friend (both formerly of Outcrowd). This outfit recorded it's self-titled debut album for Blackout, and toured unrelentlessly upfront the 1996 release, opening for the likes of Rancid and No Doubt. By the time for the recordings of 1997 sophomore album Thicker Than Water, the band had signed to Epitaph, and former Shelter bassist Adam Blake had joined the H2O ranks. 3 rd album F.T.T.W., produced by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, saw a host of guest vocal appearances including Freddy Cricien (Madball), Roger Miret (Agnostic Front), Tim Armstrong (Rancid), and Dicky Barrett (Mighty Mighty Bosstones).

Which closes the loop I'd started above, and forces me to return to the present, and the fact that Bridge Nine claims this is probably the best H2O album ever. A bold statement which I can not confirm of dislodge, not remembering whether I even hàve any previous albums by the New York act! But I can confirm that the Chad Gilbert produced album is a credit to its title! At myspace.com/H2Ofamily, you'll find the two album opening songs, and honestly, the record continues very much in the same vein, albeit with a few occasional alterations. There's a shitload of guest vocal appearances on this album, beginning with Paul Delaney (of Kill Your Idols & Deathcycle fame) on the album opening "1995". The title track guests Roger Miret (Agnostic Front), Danny Diablo (also known as Lord Ezec of Crown Of Thornz), and Freddy Cricien (of Madball;he also guests on "A Thin Line"). More guests include Civ (of CIV)on the straight-forward Straight-Edge hymn "Still Here", Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds) and Lou Koller (Sick Of It All on "Fairweather Friend"...the latter returning on the album closing "What Happened?", a song with a lyrical stance against the Fashion Before Passion attitude in the Hardcore scene. An extra nice thing about the album is this kid saying a couple of sentences in the intro or outro of a couple of the songs. For the "Shit Talking" part at the end of the album ("hidden" track), Diablo was joined by band members Adam Blake and Todd Friend, plus Seth Abrams, plus New York born actor Michael Rapaport (this was not his first apparition in the music industry, as he's contributed to albums by Frank Zappa, Talib Kweli, High & Mighty, Lucradis, and Jaz Z). The occasional gang backing vocals were apparently divided in two groups, the "West Coast" gang singers including Gilbert, Pistachio, Joe Nelson (ehr...the baseball hero?), Steve Locker (the soccer giant?), Alan Vega (former singer of No-Wave act Suicide?), and Paul Miner (Death By Stereo). The "East Coast" representatives being Freddy Cricien, Todd Friend, Adam Blake, and Paul Delaney.

In the end, when you're a fan of this kind of Melodic Punk infused Hardcore, you gótta go and get yourself H2O's new album, no doubt about it...if only for all the guest appearances!!!

93/100

Tony.