What happened to the passion? What happened to the reason for screaming.

This is going to be a double post, in that I am taking a section of this post where I talk about the album as my album of the week for my internet radio show on TotalRock.. and considering that I have only done about 3 albums of the week in the history of my show, I think thats pretty good.

In 2002, I attended a festival at Finsbury Park entitled Deconstruction. The line up was incredible, the highlights being H2O and the Movielife. At this point in my life, I was not a huge H2o fan. When first getting into hardcore 6 years previous to this, Sick Of It All became my favourite New York Hardcore band, with Madball a close second. I liked H2O, but i was so excited by these two bands that I never really gave them a chance more than listening to them in my friends car on roadtrips places or singing along to "5Yr Plan" at the awful rock clubs we used to frequent.
A couple of days after the fest, the band played at the Dingwalls in Camden.. again, i remember thinking they were good, picking up their albums but only listening to them once in a while, usually in summer.

Fast forward to May 27th 2008. H2O release one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Nothing to Prove, on Bridge 9 Records and announce a european tour.
H2O fans have waited seven years for this record. And most won't be disappointed. This record is, in one word, fan-bloody-tastic. It has been a while since there has been an album that has held my attention from start to finish and makes me smile as much as this album. Highlights include the catchy chorus of the title track, "Nothing to Prove" and the perfect ending to the album with "What happened?" which includes guest vocals from Lou Koller from Sick of It All and Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, a song that has literally been stuck in my head for the past two weeks. (When you pick up the album, make sure you listen to Adam Blakes facts you didnt know about H2O. The best.)

The band were a highlight of Pressurefest 2008, so much so that we roadtripped it up to Luton on Sunday to see them as we couldn't wait for the London show. They played to a room of people like they were playing to the 50,000 kids at Deconstruction, with as much heart and as much passion.

So you need to do two things.
1. Go to your local record store and pick up "Nothing to Prove".
2. Go and see them at the Underworld tomorrow. If you are unable to make this date, the band are also playing the Peel in Kingston on the 21st August (i am GUTTED i cant make this date), Reading and Leeds festival and Ieperfest in Belgium. Go and see them.


You will not be disappointed.