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MODERN LIFE IS WAR - Midnight In America (Equal Vision)
 I'm sorry if I come off as biased, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and say it: MODERN LIFE IS WAR is one of the best bands in music today. I have been a fan of the band ever since their debut full length, My Love My Way was released. It was a dose of aggressive, scream your head off hardcore that was sorely absent in hardcore at the time. MODERN LIFE IS WAR did not even come close to succumbing to a sophomore slump. Their second full length Witness is one of my favorite records of the past five years. The cathartic lyrics, intricate yet raw instrumentation, varied strong structure, and unbridled energy the album exuded made it an instant hit among hardcore and indie fans alike. (though some of the experimentation alienated a few fans). The lyrics of Witness told the story of the band's hometown of Marshalltown, Iowa, a dead working class city full of broken dreams and lost opportunities. It has been a long time since any band has crafted such a hauntingly beautiful record in hardcore. After gaining a new member in Tim Churchman (of now defunct Chunksaah Records act Spanish Bombs) and tirelessly playing in legion halls, small clubs, basements, and the such all over the world (from Finland to Ohio and coast to coast) MLIW went back to the drawing table and wrote a new batch of songs that ended up being recorded by J Robbins and became Midnight in America .
With the addition of Churchman, there is a definite charge towards both ends of the spectrum. There are no more complex droning songs that made Witness special (a lot of bands are now ripping off Modern Life Is War in that sense;) the songs are either more aggressive hardcore songs or bursts of punk energy. Churchman also lends his backing vocals to strengthen songs like "Screaming at the Moon" and "Night Shift at the Potato Factory". The disc starts off with the rager "Useless Generation" which has a brutal guitar part that makes me want to raise my fist in anger. There is a definite punk aspect to a song like "Stagger Lee", with its buildup and anticlimactic swagger, and of course the most punk rock song on the record is the anti-punk rock "Fuck the Sex Pistols", which will remind listener's of the band's most popular song of "Witness": D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
This record is an intense experience. J. Robbins captures the essence of the band in the same way he captured Paint it Black on Paradise . The band comes off as pissed off, in an intelligent and intellectual manner. The lyrics make a few pop culture references (These Mad Dogs of Glory) but Eaton and crew stick to driving home the same point that Witness highlighted: the frustration of working class people (except this time without the direct references to Marshalltown that made Witness such a personal record). Though the band that recorded "My Love My Way" has long since perished, it has been for the better. MODERN LIFE IS WAR has done it again folks. Expect them to do it again in the near future, but now do yourself a favor and catch them as they continue their tireless road-warrior like around the globe.
- Jon Robinson
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