Review - Mariana's Trench - Ever After

Mariana’s Trench is a Canadian band that we haven’t really much heard of in the US. Sure they have a following with some scene kids and all that here, but that is about it. In fact, up until now, they have never even had a formal release of an album or single in the US – only our brothers and sisters to the north have been graced with such a pleasure.

November sees the band release not only their third album, ‘Ever After’, but also their first real single release (note: they did release a song called “Cross My Heart” to US mainstream radio this past January, although that was just a fluke from their label. That song originally charted as a single in Canada in 2008, so we’re a bit behind the Mariana’s Trench times). This month, their label in the US has sent their first single from the new album “Haven’t Had Enough” to radio, where it will most likely be ignored (sadly).

So, if we are to possibly hear some of this band, why not get to know them a little. MT is a pop punk band through and through, so if that’s not your thing, you should probably duck out now. While I have always been a big fan of the genre, I also love when people do it a bit differently. Most of the time these days that means an incorporation of electronic elements; with MT though, they do not seem afraid to try some new things as well.

Tracks like “Porcelain” and the final song “No Place Like Home” incorporate cool, acapella  harmonies and even large gospel influences (mixed with country banjo? WHAT?!?) into the mix. All this in a pop punk album, may I remind you.

The band was one of the first to be signed to Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records, and his influence on them as a group is still visible after three records. Somehow though, the bits and pieces of him that have remained (ex: lead vocals every once in a while stray a bit too much into his gritty, dirty throat singing that we all love) work much better in a pop punk setting and more fun lyrics than the shit butt rock Nickelback has been peddling all these years.

‘Ever After’ is easily not a very commercial album for the US, but as we know, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I must say that for a while, pop punk seemed to go rather stale, and it is bands like Mariana’s Trench that are reinventing the genre and breathing some new life into it. Glad to see the music keeping on.

Listen to: “Haven’t Had Enough”, “Truth Or Dare”, “Desperate Measures”, “Porcelain”, “Stutter”, “B Team”, and “No Place Like Home”