(Melodic Hardcore, Punk) Last of the Believers - Paper Ships Under a Burning Bridge - 2007, MP3 (tracks), VBR 192-320 kbps

Last of the Believers consist of Chris Chasse of Reach the Sky and Rise Against fame, Brett Rasmussen of Ignite fame, drummer Phillip Lee, and Nik Pitcitello and Steve Jennings formerly of Spark of Life (a short-lived hardcore act on Good Riddence and Only Crime’s Russ Rankin’s label, Lorelei Records).
That being said, just simply being able to attach the ex-Rise Against, ex-Ignite tag to their name gives them a pretty easy start. While it would be easy for these dudes to play tunes right from the Rise Against book, you’ll be glad to know that they don’t totally do that. Rise Against is very evident in their sound, but they end up sounding more like an optimistic Crime in Stereo.
These guys play exactly the kind of punk that Nitro Records chewed up and spat out about a year ago. This EP reminds me a lot of No Trigger, Much the Same, and of course, Crime in Stereo. Just five tracks total, Paper Ships Under a Burning Bridge is short and sweet. Starting off with the perfectly melodic hardcore of “Throwing Matches” (easily the highlight of the entire EP), the Believers transition into “Dissent” and “Workhorses,” both hardcore tracks very reminiscent of Crime in Stereo. Changing the pace a little, “You Get What You Get” is stylistically more like the opener, “Throwing Matches.” The album closes out with “Fists Up!,” a very Bridge Nine-dude-hardcore style track. Scattered throughout the EP are guest spots by Throwdown singer Dave Peters, which surprisingly work very well.
Overall, Paper Ships is an amazing debut EP from this kinda/sorta supergroup. This band has endless potential, and I can't wait to see what they do with a full-length. Worth a go if you love melodic hardcore.