This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
These days, punk bands that want to get ahead need to have more than a cute singer, a great guitarist or even memorable songs: They need to have a good screamer.
Lucky for Seattle’s Vendetta Red that they have a world-class shrieker in frontman Zach Davidson, a dude capable of giving it up like an al-Qaeda cell leader being goosed with a red-hot poker by a Georgia sheriff. Even luckier for them, Davidson isn’t just some Zach One-Note; he’s equally qualified to deliver sensitive-guy emo confessions, soaring punk anthems and even metal-infused rock-god swagger. All of which he is called upon to provide during the course of Between The Never & The Now, the quintet’s third album and major-label debut. A multi-dimensional set of rich melody, churning guitars and doom-laden lyrics, these dozen cuts — eight recycled from the band’s last indie album — merge post-grunge, punk, emo, pop and even doo-wop into a distinctive hybrid that seems capable of storming the charts without trading in its leather jacket. And that’s something worth screaming about.
