Monday 4 August 2014

SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES, THE

BandTHE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES
GenresPunk / Rock / Emo / Emo-Violence / Metallic Hardcore / Screamo
Related artistsCaligari, Across Tundras, Examination Of The..., In Loving Memory, Transpire, and Saqqara.
CountrySioux Falls, South Dakota USA
Years Active1998-2001
Song: "Recite This Dialogue"
Album: "The Spirit Of Versailles"
Year: 2001/2014
Label(s): Self Released / Init Records / Off Cloud Nine / And Here My Troubles Began / 605 Recordings / Chiaroscuro / Forever Escaping Boredom / 
This post's artist is from the August 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download the August Mix#8 right here or get the new August Mix#9 here.
For fans ofMustaphamond, Yusuke, Saetia, I Hate Myself, The Apoplexy Twist Orchestra, Congratulations, Nayru, Meryl Streaker, Gas Up Yr Hearse!Four Hundred Years, Eyes Of Verotika, Caught In The Fall, Funeral Diner, ...Who Calls So Loud, In Loving Memory, Crestfallen, Storm The Bastille, Neil Perry, Dispensing Of False Halos, GRYSCL, September, D'Amore, Bright Calm Blue, The Truth About DreamingUnited Nations, Off Minor, (old) Dip Leg, Die Emperor Die and Matsuri aka PROPER Screamo.

"my parents think I'm deaf"
~One, THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES

THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES were an extremely influential screamy emo/hardcore band from Sioux Falls in the US. They released quite a few things in their 3 short years together. The band consisted of members from some pretty important acts, mainly Caligari, In Loving Memory and Examination Of The... while the band's sound shared many similarities to screamy midwestern hardcore with a touch of jazz and heavy emo leanings, especially when reading the lyrics. There's also some questionable singing, which I guess ups the emo ante.

The band expertly played late 90s driving emo with spoken/strained vocals that lead to really high screechy emo-violence stuff early on and more metallic screamy hardcore with their later stuff. I'd strongly recommend checking out "Recite This Dialogue", which is my favourite track, just ahead of "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" because it shows all aspects of the band and puts on a goddamn clinic at the same time. I absolutely love the chorded bass riff at the end of this song.

I can't believe how bouncy and catchy THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES made screamy hardcore songs. Considering how old this is makes it even easier to appreciate. Besides "Recite This Dialogue", "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" has pretty obvious Saetia similarities and it's a good thing. The repetitiveness of the lyrics work to the songs advantage rather than weighing it down, and it helps to be enveloped by a fantastic beginning and end of the song that bears a fair amount of resemblance to...you guessed it, Saetia, and I guess Caught In The Fall and Eyes Of Verotika, as well.

"A Form of Closure" starts off great but really kicks in at 45 seconds with a cliffhanger of a bass riff guided by supportive drum blasts. The song then explodes at 1:21 and disperses over the next minute to similar takes on the initial pattern. This song really reminds me of Caught In The Fall.

I've also included "One" from the Saqqara split which resembles the older, screamier Saetia (think the demo) material and is a perfect example of how THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES expertly straddled the emo-violence and clean, almost jazz-like rock in the way Off Minor did, although the two bands don't necessarily sound the same. Some newer bands that sound very similar to this style are NayruMeryl StreakerGas Up Yr Hearse! - especially when it comes to the screechy screeching of screechiness mcscreecherson.

It probably isn't necessary to write much more, as chances are you already know and love the band or are sold from the youtube songs below. I should point out that I don't personally love all the band's songs. Much like I Hate Myself, I find a lot of the songs passable but the good songs are downright fantastic. My personal favourites are "Recite this Dialogue", "A Form of Closure", "Unreleased Untitled", "One" and "There Goes Rhymin' Simon".

My favourite release is the 8-song CDr, as "How to go to Sleep" and "Everything Else Comes Second" are pretty awesome tracks. Good news for me (and you), as Nolan from Off Cloud Nine will be releasing said album on 12" vinyl this fall. Do you know how huge that news is? Very.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's discography 2xcd in mp3 form.

1999 - In Line for Halos 7" EP
1999 - The Confluence of all Senses cdEP

2000 - Saqqara split 7"
2000 - Rise From Ruin split 7"

2001 - The Spirit Of Versailles CDr LP
2001 - Caligari split 7"

2003 - Discography 2xcd (download here)

2005 - Live on WNYU 7"

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(2001) THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES - "Recite This Dialogue" (from 'CDr/12"')

(2001) THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES - "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" (from 'Caligari' split)

(2000) THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES - "One" (from 'Saqqara' split)

(2001) THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES - "A Form of Closure" (from 'CDr/12"')

(2003) THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES - "Unreleased/Untitled" (from 'discography')

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THE SPIRIT OF VERSAILLES out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)
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