There is nothing wrong with a label promoting likewise music; however, when it leads a crowd into believing it stands for something it doesnt â?? there is shame and degradation in that process.

Victory Records is trapped in the crosshairs of early innovative bands and present day cross-line communication boredom. The originality was replaced with staleness.

The plots are laid out before the music is written. It seems there is a continuous similarity between almost every band on the Victory Records label.

The rise began when the label was getting its feet wet and promoting initial hard punk-rock. Such iconic industry youths that departed were American hardcore-punks the Bad Brains and the political endeavored Boy Sets Fire.

Washington, D.C.s prominent Darkest Hour shows up two-thirds of the bland corporate infused pansy musicians. Lastly, Premonition of War teeters on the brink of being consumed by the mediocrity, but still holds it down.

Now there is quite a variety in Victory Records, but not so much in the music; however, appearance seems to be the most drawing aspect of the label. This frat is all about grabbing a hold of anyone who wants to be signed.

The tough-guy metal is the seemingly predominant assortment of fronting a thug-like look that starts every song with the breakdown, followed by the two-step dance-a-thon, and then into an emo chorus line. Baseball caps and b-ball shorts are the dress code for this short empirical scene.

From the growls to the touchy-feely sorrow filled one-liners of how some girl left you, or how suicide is the only way out is the ideal scheme. These bands are being paid to play shows, make CDs, and all for free. What is there to be so depressed about?

Next, we have the opposite of the tough guy crowd. The make-up wearing Aiden from Seattle. This is a trite band that plays a type of new school punk touring with bands like Hawthorne Heights and Atreyu.

This all-black-wearing, one-long-AFI-rip-off strand of hair curdling in front of the eyes type of wannabe hardcore punks have an image of the early 80s hair metal that has been infiltrated into the new age era of what seems to be glam-rock.

What goes around, comes back around, I guess. Are we ready to bring back the bell-bottoms and disco balls into some weird alt-rock form, Sweet Jesus, I hope not. Disco died for a reason. Let it burn, baby, burn.

Lastly, there are the rejects of the label. Well, these are the types of bands that dont really fit into any of the other groups. Comeback Kid and Catch 22 are the contemporary emo crowd delivering a Drive-Thru Records performance trying to separate themselves from the pop realm by implanting a random scream into the plot. Minus those few chants and these guys would find themselves looking for a new label.

So is there any hope left for this label? Will there be a house-cleaning when it comes time for the new scene. Variety is dead, but glam prevails.

Victory Records is selling an image, not much of the music aspect. Forget about the music, sex sells, right? Get the 14- to 15-year-old angry high school kids to shop at the ever hated Hot Topic buying corporate band T-shirts that are all the same.

Black, blood, and bones; dig it? Originality is again, dangling from the neck of the noose. Who will be the next label to submerge into this type of hypocrisy?

There is nothing wrong with a label promoting a certain style of music; however, when it leads a crowd into believing it stands for something it doesnt “ there is shame and degradation in that process. I see a grim demise occurring in the near future as folks will finally be in agreement and move on to what is the closest mainstream metal label “ that being Metal Blade Records.

Victory Records is in the shadows compared to the revolutionary label that brought us everything from Cannibal Corpse to Six Feet Under, Black Dahlia Murder to Cattle Decapitation. Step aside Crumpling Records and let the real music reign.

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