Cast The First Stone
Encyclopedia
Cast the First Stone was the second full-length album by New Jersey
, U.S. band Ensign
. It was released by Nitro Records
in March, 1999 and follows the band's debut, Direction of Things to Come
which came out on Indecision Records
in November, 1997.
with less inclination to include slower refrain
sections - referred to as breakdowns - than in previous recordings. This resulted in the tracks sounding faster. The latter part of the album showed signs that the band were including more metalcore
elements into their sound. They would develop this tendency towards a more metalcore
sound in their subsequent release, The Price of Progression.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, U.S. band Ensign
Ensign (band)
Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in...
. It was released by Nitro Records
Nitro Records
Nitro Records is an independent record label created and owned by Dexter Holland and Greg Kriesel . They started the label in 1994. The label is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most notably AFI...
in March, 1999 and follows the band's debut, Direction of Things to Come
Direction Of Things To Come
Direction of Things to Come was the debut full-length album from New Jersey, U.S. hardcore punk band Ensign. It was released on Indecision Records in November, 1997 and it followed two 7" vinyl EPs...
which came out on Indecision Records
Indecision Records
Indecision Records is an independent American hardcore punk record label which was started by Dave Mandel in 1995. It is based in Garden Grove, California. Until around 2001, it was based in nearby Huntington Beach. Both cities are within Orange County...
in November, 1997.
Overview
The combination of a move to a bigger record label and a different guitarist from their previous album did little to alter the band's sound. It was a short, frenetic-paced collection of songs again. The tracks in the early part of the album are straightforward Hardcore punkHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
with less inclination to include slower refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
sections - referred to as breakdowns - than in previous recordings. This resulted in the tracks sounding faster. The latter part of the album showed signs that the band were including more metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
elements into their sound. They would develop this tendency towards a more metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
sound in their subsequent release, The Price of Progression.
Track listing
- All songs written by EnsignEnsign (band)Ensign is a hardcore punk band from New Jersey, USA. It was formed in 1995 and signed to Indecision Records in 1996. They signed to the larger label "next door", Dexter Holland's Nitro Records in 1998 and finally came to rest at Blackout Records in 2003 after a brief sortie back to Indecision in...
- "Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars" – 2:17
- "#22" – 1:32
- "15 Years" – 1:23
- "Wash Away" – 1:12
- "Fade Into Years" – 1:48
- "Waiting For The Breakdown" – 1:01
- "Absent" – 1:51
- "For The Record" – 1:55
- "Winner Takes All" – 0:57
- "Never Give In" – 2:19
- "Pale Horse" – 2:27
- "Unanswered" – 1:49
- "DBC" – 0:35
- "Cornered" – 1:40
- "The Road Less Travelled" – 2:15
- "Fallen" – 2:52
- Track 5 is a reprise of a song which was originally recorded in 1997 and not released
- Track 11 is a reprise of the song which appeared on the band's first, self-titled, 7" EPEnsign (EP)Ensign's self-titled 7" EP was their first release on Orange County, California record label, Indecision Records. It was released in May, 1996 on 7" vinyl only. The production run was limited to 3336 on black vinyl, 330 on grey, 449 on blue and a further 100 on black vinyl with a different cover to...
- Tracks 5 and 11 can be found in their original form on the retrospective Indecision RecordsIndecision RecordsIndecision Records is an independent American hardcore punk record label which was started by Dave Mandel in 1995. It is based in Garden Grove, California. Until around 2001, it was based in nearby Huntington Beach. Both cities are within Orange County...
release, Three Years Two Months Eleven DaysThree Years Two Months Eleven DaysThree Years Two Months Eleven Days was an album of early material, often referred to as a retrospective, by the New Jersey, U.S. band, Ensign...
Credits
- Tim Shaw – vocals
- Ryan "Mackenzie" Donoghue – guitar
- Nate "Edge" Gluck – bass
- Ryan Murphy – drums
- Sick Of It AllSick of It AllSick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
's Lou Koller provided guest vocals on "15 Years"
- Recorded at Trax East, South River, New Jersey, USA
- Produced and engineered by Steve Evetts
- Assistant Producers: Lou and Pete Koller of Sick Of It AllSick of It AllSick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
- Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music