Modern Life Is War at the Bowery Ballroom

Jeffrey Eaton

Modern Life Is War formed as a melodic hardcore band in 2002 in Marshalltown, Iowa. The band released three albums before announcing its breakup in 2008. The band reunited in 2012 and released its fourth studio album, Fever Hunting, in 2013. Although the band experienced mid-career personnel changes, the reformed band hosts its original members: Jeffrey Eaton on vocals, John Paul Eich and Matt Hoffman on guitars, Chris Honeck on bass and Tyler Oleson on drums.

Modern Life Is War confirmed its reputation as a unique hardcore band tonight at the Bowery Ballroom. Familiarly born of youthful anger and despair, orchestrated with brutally intense musical arrangements, many songs fueled moshing and stage diving. Nevertheless, the overall sound was darker than most hardcore punk music. Eaton harshly screamed and growled some uncommonly vulnerable lyrics while the band played a dirge-like wall of sound that often approached death metal. The slower pace and light melodies combined with the thrusting assault of the instruments turned many of the songs into epic- sounding anthems of youthful resilience. This was primal angst, as abrasive and aggressive as it is supposed to be.