Swandive

Before emo became a genre of music in the mid-'90s, Bullet LaVolta was opening the doors for their future contemporaries. Songs like "My Protector" rage with an emotional power rarely found in hardcore at the time. "Blizzard" sounds like early Mudhoney, and "Before I Fall" is like a happy (or at least a less unhappy) Fugazi. There are moments where the music almost sounds like heavy metal, which is exactly how the record company promoted the album at the time. Producer Dave Jerden pushes the drums and rhythm guitar to the forefront, emphasizing the metal elements. But singer Yukki Gipe has an emotive, angry voice that gives the music substantial depth, and guitarists Clay Tarver and Duke Roth have a tight sound that never relies on mindless riffing. Swandive is an important work that never really got its due, and fans of modern emo may want to search out this album because it really did open up the market for like-minded artists.