Lay it on the Line: 'Midnight in the Bellagio'

Lay it on the Line - Midnight in the Bellagio

Lay it on the Line is a fairly new band, forming towards the end of 2011. In January they released a debut EP Midnight in the Bellagio, featuring 10 tracks of raw, melodic hardcore. For those of you unfamiliar with Lay it on the Line, a couple of the members were part of Phinius Gage and Not Katies. These may have not been the most successful bands at the time however the sound that they have come up with for this new band is very effective and I hope others get into it like I have. This EP contains 10 tracks, clocking in at around 13 minutes, so there is a good amount of material. Hailing from South London area hopefully to make their mark in the UKHC scene.

My first impression of Midnight in the Ballagio is you can hear the determination and effort put into the record. Although there is a lot of melodic guitar parts, which might not be to everyones taste, there is also substantial heavy sounding riffs, adding a nice touch between the lighter melodies creating two moods. I feel that the sound quality and production of this EP is slightly let down though, and takes away the impact of the heavier sounding instrumental parts. The opening track This is the Deal contains catchy chugging style guitar riffs and steady drum rhythms. There are some background ‘gang’ style vocals which spans out to most songs of the EP partly from guest appearances from Joe and Robin from Random Hand.

Lay it on the Line have created their own sound to hardcore and this strays away from the typical moshing macho sound and style often present in the scene today. Instead, concentrating on steady rhythms and melodic guitar work with raspy growling vocals that work surprisingly well. They have taken upon many genre influences, which include hardcore, punk, rock, and even a little ska; the song Oreo Speedwagon contains a part towards the end of ska-style guitar chords. Spread Thin has a breakdown, quickly jumping to the next track Easy Street, a metalcore style guitar instrumentals. It seems there is a bit of everything for everyone.

I think Lay it on the Line have a lot of potential with songs such as A Score A Drink, Easy Street and Midnight in the Bellagio, and with some development I feel this band can really be something. I am sure there is much more to come from Lay it on the Line and this debut EP is just the beginning. Keep your eyes peeled for future releases of this band and check out their music from the links below.

Reverb Nation
Stereo Killer
Bandcamp