Pitch Black
This is the modern sound

Pitch Black’s second album, This is the Modern Sound was disappointing. Kevin Cross, former guitarist of The Nerve Agents is PB’s front man. However the Bay Area punk band Pitch Black lacks the intensity of The Nerve Agents. Usually, musicians become more aggressive as they age and gain confidence but This is the Modern Sound seemed like a step backward for Cross. While the Nerve Agents employ raspy vocals and strong bass lines, PB sounds like high-pitched pop punk. Sutured Heart is the album’s highlight. The singing is less nasal and the music has more depth. Bronze Lady pt. 1 was a pleasant instrumental intermission and Bronze Lady pt. 2 sounded even better. The synthesizer used throughout the album gives the album a nice old horror movie vibe. And imaginative similes like “Your day breaks like a bone snapped in two, look down at your skin and see the white shards come splintering through,” show what great lyricists they are but the vocals and music lack the strength to convey the emotions they otherwise express so well. -- Nadia Smit