The Killing Tree from Chicago have been quickly gaining attention since they released their highly acclaimed album "The Romance of Helen Trent” The band really know how to mix hardcore elements with emotional rock anthems. Even though they have been out on tour tearing it up live, the band has managed time to drop a new 5 song EP. This release comes soon after the Chicago punk band Rise Against released their new album "Revolutions Per Minute” This is significant because the bands share the same vocalist in Tim Mcilrath. Tim's vocals are one of the highlights of both bands and it remains to be seen which band will receive the most attention from him.

As for the EP "We Sing Sin" it follows the same pattern as "Romance of Helen Trent" featuring long rock opuses with hardcore elements mixed in to add extra energy. Almost every song is over 5 minutes and flows in and out of diverse textures and melodies with sin and disappointment being the themes. It seems as if "We Sing Sin" almost leans toward the direction of progressive rock. Tim's vocals do add a hardcore element but the thing I like about his voice is that he has a sort of scratchy, emotional voice reminiscent of famous Seattle alternative bands. Most Hardcore bands today feature singers that go from screaming at the top of their lungs to catchy pop choruses. I say this because a lot of reviews of this EP are criticizing the vocals for being off tune especially in the track 3 Soundgarden cover, Jesus Christ Pose. I think the scratchy, almost whiny vocals are intended and anyone that has heard Rise Against or other Killing Tree albums knows how much Tim's vocals add to the overall effect of the music. While no one track sticks out on "We Sing Sin", the album is solid and belongs in your collection. Hopefully Tim can find time to juggle double singing duties as both The Killing Tree and Rise Against have very promising futures.