I’ve been learning a lot about writing lately, and have gained a different perspective on it. Some view writing as a conversation had among people interested in the same topic with every piece building upon and influenced by the last. I never thought of it like that before. What does it have to do with The Enders latest album? Well I never liked comparing bands to other bands, and saying this sounds like this or that because I always felt like it was taking away from the band and their efforts. After taking on the new view of writing, I applied it to music. What is music if not a culmination of different influences?
On their Reverb Nation Page the band has NOFX, Sick of it All, Agnostic Front, Motorhead, and Minor Threat listed in their Sounds Like category. That is a fairly diverse sound if all of those groups were put together. But it’s true, the group weaves seamlessly between more hardcore offerings like “The Ruins of Ambition” and “The Path”, to more punk tunes like “Stand Your Ground” and “Songs for the Working Class.” “Pragmatic ” actually is my vision of what a song would sound like if Pennywise collaborated with Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent. Songs like “Manifesto” even remind me of another favourite of mine, Broadcast Zero.
If punk music really is a conversation, The Enders have paid close attention. They have listened and gathered as much information before crafting their own reply, The Ruins of Ambition. What results is a well crafted album that draws on those that came before and add their own voice to the conversation.