Saturday 7 November 2015

TRAINING FOR UTOPIA

GenresPunk / Metalcore / Hardcore / Math-Metal
Related artistsAsterisk Studio, Demon Hunter, Invisible Creature, Focal Point and Low & Behold.
CountrySacramento, California USA
Years Active1996-1999
Song: "Thoughtless Reminders"
Album: "Falling Cycle"
Year: 1997
For fans ofZao, In Reverent Fear, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Lavotchkin, (old) Codeseven, Crrust, Lamantide, Botch, Llynch, Circles Over Sidelights, I Hate Sally, Poison The Well, (early) Hopesfall and Thumbscrew.
Label(s): Self Released / Solid State Records / Tooth & Nail Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download: the November Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2015 Mix#12 here.

Considering the 1996 time stamp on TRAINING FOR UTOPIA's 'Breathing in Disease' (later repressed as 'The Falling Cycle') and its relentless carnage that sounds very familiar to a ton of Christian math-metal bands who popped up more than five years after this release. Being extremely comparable to Botch and Norma Jean is a compliment in my book, even if the music itself doesn't match those bands - as that's a nearly impossible level to achieve. We have to remember this was 1996 and none of the "for fans of" bands were making music this good at that point. Botch didn't even sound like this until around 1998 so that tells you a lot right there. If you enjoy those bands or are religious and like heavy music you should probably give their early work a listen.

Following the EP release in 1997 TRAINING FOR UTOPIA released an LP later year titled 'Plastic Soul Impalement'. It's not terrible, but it's not even enjoyable for me. The sound itself is intact but it sounds devoid of power and gravity. This relatively slight shift in style was rubbing me the wrong way. Couple this with the band's lyrics about being very pro god and religion and they completely lost my interest. I haven't checked out anything past the 1997 material but if it's actually worth my time leave some comments and maybe my biases will be absolved.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's 1997 material in mp3/wma form.

1996 - Breathing in Disease cassetteEP (same tracks as 'The Falling Cycle')

1997 - The Falling Cycle cd/7"EP
1997 - Plastic Soul Impalement cd/cassette/12"LP

1998 - The Split cdEP (split w/Zao)

1999 - Throwing a Wrench into the American Music Machine cdLP

2004 - Technical Difficulties cdLP compilation

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(1997) TRAINING FOR UTOPIA - "Thoughtless Reminders" (from 'The Falling Cycle')

(1997) TRAINING FOR UTOPIA - "Dead Signal" (from 'The Falling Cycle')

(1997) TRAINING FOR UTOPIA - "One Zero One" (from 'Plastic Soul Impalement')

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TRAINING FOR UTOPIA out of print 1997 material download

(download here)
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