TOP FIVE IN AT THE DEEP END RECORDS RELEASES

One of the things I’ve been trying to do with some of these Top Fives is highlight record labels that have been hugely consequential in their arena, such as Death Row and Hellcat; obviously Death Row had far more of a mainstream impact than Hellcat, but Hellcat had a run from the late-90s to mid-2000s where it didn’t just dominate the punk scene, it was a legitimate launching pad to mainstream success for bands like The Distillers and The Dropkick Murphys. For this Top Five, we head to the UK to look at In at the Deep End Records, responsible for releasing music by artists such as Send More Paramedics, Polar, Feed the Rhino, Bastions, and November Coming Fire, a label that was highly consequential in the hardcore and metalcore scenes in Britain in the latter half of the 2000s. For whatever reason, I don't really see them given the credit they deserve for launching the careers of very successful and/or influential artists and issuing many great and underrated releases besides. So with that in mind, I thought it was time to do a Top Five releases from the influential yet underrated In at the Deep End Records.

5. Sylosis-Casting Shadows (2006)

After putting their first two releases out with IATDE Records (along with 2007’s The Supreme Oppressor), Sylosis would go on to make the jump to the much larger Nuclear Blast and their career would really take off. While it might be tempting to call this their "humble origins," Casting Shadows clearly exhibits their potential. The Supreme Oppressor is an objectively superior offering and a clear level up on pretty much every front to the rawer Casting Shadows, but to me at least there's a certain charm and appeal in that relative lack of refinement in this case, and I say relative because, again, the band’s "floor," if you will, was already so high this early.

4. Centurion-One Hundred (2007)

I know very little about this band, but I remember finding this EP on one of the blogs back in the day—if you know, you know—and really digging it, but I ultimately forgot about it. When running through the label’s releases to figure out what was going to go on this list, I saw and remembered this one, and was confirmed in its quality on re-listening. Definitely a product of its time, but don't read that as a critique. There are shades of early Architects, particularly in some of the guitar parts, punishing breakdowns, and some touches of melody incorporated as well. The songs are kind of all over the place, but it works. It feels like youthful exuberance, taking me back to those early years of when I was diving head-first into the scene.

3. Architects-Nightmares (2006)

Speaking of Architects…

I would assume if you're reading this, Architects need no introduction. Nightmares and its Dillinger Escape Plan vibe is from the pre-Sam Carter era of the band with original vocalist Matt Johnson (who would go on to form a band called Whitemare with former members of Johnny Truant and the above-mentioned Centurion). You can tell they were still in the process of putting the pieces together and finding their identity on this album, but the fact that their baseline was this nasty, especially given how young they were and already being able to play this well, foreshadowed the heights they’d eventually climb. Though Carter would prove the missing ingredient mixed with the addition of bassist Alex Dean and the band's leveling-up as songwriters with Ruin and especially the incredible Hollow Crown, there are still some serious bangers on this album in songs like "To the Death," "Minesweeper," and "They’ll Be Hanging Us Tonight."

2. Shaped By Fate-The Unbeliever (2007)

Once dubbed "the future of British Metalcore" by Kerrang!, the Welsh outfit absolutely punishes listeners on this ten song set of sprawling yet frenetic Furnace Fest-core. They always reminded me a little of Johnny Truant in the way that they were pushing the boundaries of what metalcore could be. Though the genre largely seems to have gone in a different direction, listening to this album now still feels like I’m hearing the vanguard.

1. Gallows-Orchestra of Wolves (2006)

For readers who weren’t around back then, Gallows was like Thrown is now. I had the good fortune to see this lineup twice, once in York, England with Trash Talk and Sharks, and once in Massachusetts with This Is Hell and Cancer Bats. I remember throwing down at that latter show to "Just Because You Sleep Next to Me Doesn't Mean You're Safe" having just gotten a big tattoo on my shoulder the day before, blood and pus seeping through the bandage and my shirt as I was getting smashed into over and over again. Ah, the days of youth.

Gallows with Frank Carter on vocals was truly a special band, and released what I would categorize as one of the best punk albums of all time in 2009’s Grey Britain. Orchestra of Wolves is a classic in its own right, with Epitaph founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz calling it the best hardcore album since Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come (Epitaph would pick the album up in the US). The title track is one of the best hardcore songs of all time. Orchestra is a unique combination of influences with all of these weird angular parts and jagged breakdowns rubbing shoulders with punk rock abandon, rock n roll sensibilities, and memorable songwriting. "Abandon Ship" is a perfect microcosm of the melding of these different sensibilities and influences into a distinct and cohesive whole: the track leans into the band’s melodic side while maintaining their ferocity; there are sharp off-kilter parts, some chugs, and the lyrics are a well-crafted political critique that avoid being preachy and are strengthened by an urgent and commanding vocal performance from Carter, a magnetic frontman who took the band's live performances to the next level. I don't use words like "classic" lightly, but the first two Gallows records are classics, full stop.