All Riot - By Hearts and Ghosts

All Riot

By Hearts and Ghosts
self-released; 2015

3.9 out of 5

By Jack Dickinson

When a key member of a band leaves, it can be quite an adjustment. At best, you have a scenario where a new member adds something new to the group’s aesthetics. At worst, you have a situation where the driving force of the band leaves and the other members of the group are caught with their pants down, desperately scrambling to figure out what to do.

Connecticut indie-punk group All Riot seems to have entered the best scenario. In 2014, All Riot’s original bassist, Christian Adamik, moved to Boston, MA and ended up leaving the group. It should’ve been a devastating blow for the band considering that Adamik had been the quartet’s driving creative force since they first formed after meeting at Meriden High School in Meriden, CT in 2012. However, it would seem that despite losing Adamik, All Riot has done quite well for themselves in the last year. All Riot’s replacement bassist Cody Altieri has managed to maintain the group’s dynamite sound, which has led to the band being nominated for a number of awards including best new band and best rock band.
 
All Riot’s new album By Hearts and Ghosts have also led to a bit of recognition for the group and has since been nominated for album of the year since being released in early April of this year, as well as the lead single from the album “Ego Party” being nominated for Song of the year by the Connecticut music awards.

This album has a lot to offer musically. “Too Little To Late” and “Ego Party” have a sound like something that Cage the Elephant would record in their spare time. The album’s second single “Running From Bees” has a very melodic, post punk sound that’s very reminiscent of material by the Fall or Joy Division.
   
“Not Clay” opens the album with some excellent guitar leads and a nice solo played by guitarist Dan Osto as he is backed on bass by Nick Allen. It would be interesting to hear how different these tracks sound live versus the studio considering that all the members of the band switch roles with only Mitch Guerin holding down drums for the entire record.
 
For a band that doesn’t want to be lumped in with the current emo revival scene, the two tracks “Outside” and “Machines” might be working against them. Listening to these two tracks would lead even the most ignorant music fan to believe that All Riot was, in fact, an emo band. For many bands, that would define their career. In All Riot’s case, however, that probably won’t happen.

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