REVIEW: The Paramedic – Smoke & Mirrors (2012)
The Paramedic, currently signed to Bullet Tooth, is a up and coming 5-piece post-hardcore act from Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 2010, their debut album Smoke & Mirrors was released in October of 2012. Going into this album, you need to be prepared for a unique vocal sound and some experimentation in each song. Front man Mike Luciano has a voice I’ve never thought I would hear. He has that smooth sound to his cleans, and his screams flow through your ears like the perfect wave. It is a powerful and gruff scream, and it is amazing to hear. Hitting on individual tracks, I have to say the best track on the whole album is “Clarissa Didn’t Explain This.” The perfect song when you feel betrayed in love, this song is brutal. Right from the get-go, the song hits hard and fast. The emotion in this song is palpable and evident. The lyrics play out like a breakup message. A violent and angry song, it chills out for the breakdown, then picks up the energy for a final blast of anger to finish. “Sol, The Conspirator” is another stand out track on the album. All the energy built into this song is like an explosion of power from the first note. One track that is unlike the rest is “When We Fight.” I swear when I first heard this, it plays out like the rock equivalent of an R&B song. And personally, I loved it. Consider this the break from the anger, because it picks right back up and doesn’t let go for the remaining duration of the album. All in all, Smoke & Mirrors is an amazing full-length debut for these 5 men from Dayton, Ohio. I see big things in the future for The Paramedic so long as they can harness what they did right here and keep improving.
Standout Tracks: Clarissa Didn’t Explain This. Sol, The Conspirator. When We Fight. With Enemies Like You, Who Needs Friends.
Overall Rating: 9/10
