At Our Worst

Album Review

Jacksonville, FL, metalcore band Evergreen Terrace has been nothing if not prolific during its brief five-year career (four releases and counting), but even the hard-working group is quick to admit in the liner notes of 2004's At Our Worst that the release was motivated by little more than a cash-in opportunity. In summary, when asked by Indianola Records if they'd be interested in releasing some old demos, the members of the five-piece balked at first, but eventually relented so long as the album would also contain some live material along with a never-before-heard composition in the quite explosive "You're Entering a World of Pain." In fact, "explosive" is probably about as useful a word as any to describe these live performances (including a surprisingly suitable reading of the Smashing Pumpkins' "Zero"), which show Evergreen Terrace in the process of lambasting a clearly partisan hometown crowd. As for the four demos, which date from the band's first sessions (in 2000), Evergreen Terrace fans will find them of good enough audio fidelity — not to mention immeasurable historical value — to justify their investment. But less well-versed new arrivals may just want to skip this release altogether and focus on one of the band's proper studio albums.