Anyone with any preconceptions about the Jade Tree label should probably look away now, as trust me, it ain't all about emo. You looking away? Right, now that the backpacked saps have wimped away, let's talk punk rock, shall we?

Nashville's From Ashes Rise are EVERYTHING you could want from a punk band. They're hard, fast, they like their politics, and they, in short, rock like mother-crushing bastards from Hell. Take one emo kid to a From Ashes Rise show and the chances of their thick-rimmed specs staying in one piece for, say, two songs is about as likely as rugby union ever comprising better entertainment than SM:TV, even if it's the shit, non Ant and Dec SM:TV (why have they got someone from Liberty X presenting it, when Tweedy owes community service? I demand Tweedy on my set!). They are, basically, an emo kid's nightmare, which is exactly why you should love them.

This is brutal stuff from the word go, the word go being 'Response' with its explosive opening line of "To sheer nothingness!", which can easily be misheard as a command to "Shut up and dance!" How you'd even begin to dance to this is something of a mystery to me, but no doubt some black-and-blue slam action would ensue. Lyricist Brad Boatright manages to chronicle the evils of the world in a way that never patronises, nor detracts from the unbridled musical rage of his bandmates. Seriously, drummer David Atchinson must've replaced his bass drum after every take, if they even had more than one per song. When the whole thing crashes to a close, you're left breathless, physically and emotionally battered, and desperate for more. And you know what the irony is? I wear glasses AND a backpack.

Hey, emo kid! Yeah you, come back! Reckon your Saves The Day is intense? Maybe Thursday? Well whatever, this _is_ the real deal, and trust me emo kid, it'll put you in rehab for a month. And no, you can't take your diary with you...