I was unfamiliar with City of Ships until my boy Chuck Daley of Beartrap PR hooked me up with their latest release, Live Free or Don't Tour, a compilation which combines both their Live Free or Don't EP and their latest Tour EP on one lovely vinyl. The band's obviously influence can be determined from the very start of the record - Planes Mistaken For Stars. Normally I would be crying foul for anyone who even remotely attempts to unseat Gared and the rest of those abrasive motherfuckers from Denver, but that is not at all what City of Ships is trying to unsettle. These guys keep far enough away from blanantly ripping them off and instead rely on expanding on their unique sound.

A year in-between these two recordings really show immense about of growth and maturity music wise. A more layered and complex sound can be heard comparing early tracks such as 'Evidence-Based Medicine' and 'Hold Tight' of Side B (taken from the 2007 release Live Free or Don't) with later recordings found on Side A (songs from the Tour EP released in 2008) like 'Critical Vulture' wihich delves more into a experimental hardcore sound remenscent of the days of Killsadie. No matter which way you look at it, these guys are a band that is truly one to be reckoned with.

City of Ships' Live Free of Don't Tour is currently available on a beautiful yellow and black splashed vinyl from the fine folks at Forcefield Records. I recommend you seek this beast out now.

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