Band : Polar Bear Club
Album title : Clash Battle Guilt Pride
Label : Bridge Nine Records
Distributor : Suburban
Release date : 13/09/2011
Release : CD

Third album by this NY State (Rochester & Syracuse) based American Post-Hardcore/ Indie Rock act. For their antecedents, I gladly direct you to the reviews I did of the band's 2008 debut album (re-release on Bridge 9) Sometimes Things Just Disappear and their sophomore 2009 album Chasing Hamburg(reviews posted 15/02 and 22/09/2009). First off, let's see what happened to the band since we last reported on their antics.

Following the release of Chasing Hamburg, PBC saw their new album land in several year-lists, including Alternative Press' “Most Anticipated”-list. In promotion of the album, the band hit the road hard, and tours through Europe, Australia, and North America saw the 5-some share stages with such as diverse as rank Turner, Everytime I Die, and Trapped Under Ice. During Summer 2010 the band then hopped on the second leg of the Vans Warped Tour, and a winding down was done o the AP Fall Ball tour (which also included Bring Me The Horizon, August Burns Red, Emarosa, and This Is Hell). To tie the fans over between albums, PBC then released the 7-inch (vinyl) EP Drifting Time (Team Goldie Remix), but after the tour they literally parked their van to take a short rest and start the creative process of making new songs for their third album.

Six months later, the band entered Brian McTernan's Salad Says studio (you might know him from having worked with the likes of Hot Water Music and Circa Survive in the recent past) with 14 complete songs, which they first balanced off on the producer's ears. Two weeks later, the producer (with whom the band members also spoke about their inspirations) and band had decided on the best 11 from that list. That's what we can now find on the album. People already familiar with PBC will not be disappointed in finding the band elaborate on their sound even more, and evolving from their simpler beginnings towards “filling up” the space between the notes even more than before. Music off the new album can be found at the artist's page on the label's website, and also at their facebook page. The same songs are possibly also on the band's Myspace, but I can't tell for sure as I am temporarily unable to log onto that recently upgraded site from the network pc I do all my Internet surfing on.

Right, meanwhile the band have parted ways with drummer Emmett Menke (whom was with the band since 2006) and replaced him with new skinsman Tyler Hahurin (previously of California's A Static Lullaby), and with two months since the release, they have already gone out on the road to promote it! Starting Sept. 29 until mid October the band was on a Northern USA tour, playing 18 gigs in a 20-day period. At the moment of writing, the band is probably on a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean, to start a UK tour come Nov. 2nd (lasting 'til Nov. 22nd, gigging every day). No news yet of a European tour, although the band plays in Switzerland on Jan 18, 2012!

88/100

Tony.