Hot Water Music Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
New What Next's "Keep It Together" sounds like vintage Afghan Whigs, and maybe that's all you need to know about Hot Water Music's third Epitaph effort. The vets from the FLA have added a further postscript to their post-hardcore rumble, veering into a melodic yet slightly jaded maturity resembling that of Gentlemen-era Whigs. The Alkaline Trio's catchy, punky fatalism is another touchstone for what New What Next offers; Hot Water Music also provides a few satisfying holdovers from their early-2000s output. (The stinging double-time clap of "This Early Grave," for example.) But in the melodic meantime, "Under Every Thing" and "All Heads Down" back up "Together" with tense and cynical barbed wire meditations. Distant guitar sustain wrangles around a prickly ride cymbal as Chris Wollard and Chuck Ragan harmonize on the latter's lyrical venom. "All I ask is how we carry on/Tricked and blind, raped and robbed"; "...In the end, you're on your own" -- are they referring to government dirty tricks, or a more personally cynical world view? The latter seems truer given HWM's somewhat trying existence, band fragmentation and underappreciation being two big issues. "Poison"'s latent Fugazi-isms are softened by echoing Brian McTernan production and plaintive lead vocals, "End of the Line" is a rawer, seasoned-rocker version of the rager being written by every junior varsity Warped Tour hopeful, and "My Little Monkey Wrench" is as touching a love letter as the underground has in 2004. Veterans always endure adversity at some point; the pros put it back into their music, and Hot Water Music certainly has. What's come next is more controlled and sobering, and shows signs of the lives they've lived around the hard core. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Picking up where A Flight and a Crash left off, Hot Water Music is all about delivering tight and melodic hardcore on Caution. With even less vocal interplay between singers, the band further refines its music and allows its songs to shimmer with more production gloss. This only helps the group, which has an incredibly tight sound but hasn't always had the resources to make sure it sounded right. Here you can hear every little guitar flourish and snare snap nicely, which reveals the wealth of excellent melodies and lyrics the band is capable of. Every song hits the ground running, offering bountiful amounts of anthemic choruses and ringing guitars, while the music alternates between flattening listeners with a sonic barrage ("It's All Related") and lightheartedly bringing them along for the ride ("Not for Anyone"). Most importantly, the bandmembers display variety that doesn't intrude on their songwriting style but instead complements their thuggish attitude and aggressive delivery. They manage this by taking the general structure (i.e., fast tempos, singalong choruses, dynamic chord changes) and tweaking it so that certain songs are guitar-heavy romps while others allow the bass to carry the vocals on a bouncing beat. They've always hinted at this sort of songwriting strength, but they just needed the right people behind the boards to bring it out of them. By offering stronger melodies than last time but generally following the same pattern, Caution is the strongest album from the band since Fuel for the Hate Game. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
'A Flight and a Crash'
Release Date 5/28/2001
Tracks 14
Label Epitaph
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A Flight and a Crash doesn't represent a radical departure for Hot Water Music, but it is somewhat different from their past efforts. The group's sound, which reminds one of bands such as Leatherface and Avail, is still reasonably intact; one can still hear Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard's intense, gravelly vocals over their crisp, melodic guitars and the tight rhythm section of George Rebelo and Jason Black, and the lyrics still convey a sincere, confessional quality without succumbing to self-pity. This time, however, the singers sound a bit smoother and there is less interplay between them. Also, the band sounds more polished, the guitars sound warmer, the production sounds slicker, and the songs seem more intricate and varied (although they still flow together well). The songs don't have as much of a singalong anthemic quality as some of the band's previous material, but there are some well-placed shouts on "Jack of All Trades," for example. There are catchy numbers such as "Paper Thin" and even a ballad, "She Takes It," that manages to integrate Ragan and Wollard's scratchy singing with acoustic and steel guitar. Some fans may prefer an album that sounds faster, heavier, and rougher than this one, but others will enjoy this solid collection of songs from a band who continues to refine their craft. ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The fourth full-length from this post-rock/hardcore/punk rock quartet is really just more of the same, but the same really isn't so bad. Those who love the band will certainly find it appealing, but those who were drawn in by earlier efforts will probably notice that the styles start to get a bit tired and that this record is at times a rehash of previous outings. With chugging guitars, plenty of energy, throaty screamed vocals, and no overwhelming hooks, the opening "Southeast First" is a pretty clear indication of what is to come. Amidst the usual crunchy noise, there are some interesting new guitar sounds the group experiments with on this record, and there are also some interesting new song structures given a preliminary run-through. From straight punk rock efforts to much more restrained and laid-back numbers, Hot Water Music made this record with no pretenses, and while it doesn't succeed in all aspects, they certainly couldn't be bothered. Triumphantly declaring their feelings on the endearing "Our Own Way," the band explains, "Who gives a f*ck what anybody says/We'll live and love until we're dead/Holding on to what we've come to know." HWM exist in a unique niche, and those who have grown to love it will certainly accept this album into loving arms. It isn't as strong as the records that preceded it, but, at the end of the day, anything this band has to offer is still a lot more honest and explosive than what most of their peers have. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
'Finding the Rhythms'
Release Date 11/22/1997
Tracks 12
Label No Idea
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Fuel for the Hate Game'
Release Date 9/3/1997
Tracks 11
Label No Idea
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The second, and arguably best release from Gainsville's Hot Water Music, is this driving LP that opens with five of the best tracks the band has ever recorded. Swinging, complicated basslines and the throaty vocal screams of singers Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard punctuate pummeling tracks like the opening "220 Years" and the fantastic "Trademark." The crunching dual guitars never let up, and the drumming is strikingly hard and original, only adding to the overall power of the record. Fuel for the Hate Game is raw and unrelenting, but it is also a refreshing release of energy, and an infectious one at that. This is the record that saw the band rise to the top of the hardcore/punk scene, and, years after its release, it is still as deserving of credit as it ever was. The tail end of the album starts to drag off a bit, a slight move downhill that some might say continued on ever since this record, but it doesn't take away from the unyielding rock that makes up the majority of the 11 tracks included. Many have copied but none have really achieved the urgency and integrity of this record, making Fuel for the Hate Game a truly standout recording. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
'Forever and Counting'
Release Date 1/1/1997
Tracks 10
Label Doghouse
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Hot Water Music's third studio LP lacks some of the infectious energy and catchy songcrafting of previous releases, but at points still manages to impress. The opening track "Translocation" is definitely a high point, with soaring vocals and a spacious feel that allows the band to really exercise their emotional rock muscles. The familiar themes of righteousness and perseverance are all over Forever and Counting, and the entire effort seems a bit more nicely polished than the earlier records, but the downside is a bit less energy and there are fewer truly unforgettable songs. There's more of a focus on melodic singing this time around, but the screams are still there to balance it out, and musically the band is as heavy as ever. The rhythms may be more complicated than before, and while there are plenty of disjointed changes to keep things interesting, the band's knack for vibrant post-hardcore hooks falls to the wayside as this record wears on. Like Hot Water Music's previous recordings, this record starts to drift off by the halfway mark, something that's more than a little disappointing for a band of this musical caliber. Still, the strength of tracks like "Just Don't Say You Lost It" and "Better Sense" make for an enjoyable listening experience and an exuberant emotional release, and this record still sees the band at the top of their game before some of their slightly less appealing releases flooded the market. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
