MySpace Band Review: The Last Hour

It takes a considerable amount of effort to gain any kind of recognition as a premature band in the local scene. The requirements and amount of drive needed only increase once the local scene has been conquered. Street teams, coupled with the band's own promotion, are formed to help further get the word out. Because of the hard work involved, many local acts diminish rather quickly.

One of those rare bands with a lot of promise is local Greensboro rock group, The Last Hour. With an independently released album on the way, The Last Hour has started off on the right foot and continues to improve.

Having only three members in the band and currently seeking a second guitarist, The Last Hour is now booking weekly shows in and around the Greensboro area. Just last week, the band played a set in support of The Five L's at Greene Street Club. At the time of writing this article, they are performing at the Soundvent in Thomasville tonight.

One quick glance at The Last Hour's Myspace page and listeners will most likely spot a CD release show at Club Rain on Lee St., Nov. 15 on their calendar. If it isn't made clear by the numerous advertisements, this date marks when The Last Hour's EP, A Month of Sundays, will be made available to fans and newcomers alike.

Creating songs with quality production on a tight budget is often difficult, let alone creating songs that can be considered hits in the local scene and serve as memorable. The Lash Hour seems to have hit the nail on the head in this respect with cuts such as "Blinded by Her Eyes" and "Friend."

A task that is more difficult is for a band to differentiate itself from all of the sound-a-likes. Yet again, The Last Hour has this aspect covered by playing a type of rock which consists of unique riffs, rhythms, and better yet, guitar solos.

Vocal ability is a necessity and many bands struggle with this, but not The Last Hour. It is a huge advantage for The Last Hour to have a vocalist who can sing impressive melodies and reach ranges in both the high and low registers.

One problem that many bands have, local and national, is overproduction of songs. So much, in fact, that the bass lines are often inaudible. Fortunately, this doesn't pose as a threat for The Last Hour, who appears to have produced their tracks well enough for every instrument to be clearly heard.

The Last Hour is recommended to any music fan that enjoys straightforward, hard rock driven records that separate themselves from a scene of cliché acts. Everyone who possesses this mindset will never look back once they hear The Last Hour.