Screamo? Emocore? Emo violence? If you are like many people, you've heard all these terms thrown about and you've been left to wonder just what the hell they all are. Well friends, today I bring you the answer. All of those words really mean just one thing; The Escape Engine. With booming bass and drums, guitars that bridge the gap between evil and angelic, and a voice which seems oddly reminiscent of that voice in your head that always laughs at you and tells you to do mean things to people, The Escape Engine will have you laughing, screaming, crying, and trying to kill your parents, all in the same song. Sometimes melodic, sometimes bone-crushingly brutal, sometimes soulful and sometimes chaotic, The Escape Engine is definitely a band worth listening to. If you like Finch, or The Used, or anything along those lines, The Escape Engine will take you away into a land of musical devotion where you can't help but live, eat and breath this band, spending every waking moment smashing everything around you in an emotionally charged fit of rage, and letting the sweet sounds of emotional bliss lull you into a quiet, restful sleep come nightfall. The Escape Engine is definitely a band which knows itself, knows it's sound and knows where it's headed, and anybody who even takes a passing interest in rock and roll should take a look at this band and pick up Celebrity Role Model at the nearest record store.
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Call them indie, punk, emo or hardcore and all of these genres of music can describe them. They are The Escape Engine, a band from New Jersey and their debut album, "Celebrity Role Model" kicks some serious ass. Dom Lettera proves he doesn’t even need music behind him to deliver emotion-driven lyrics. In "Welcome to the Conversation" he carries on the song without music in the background. This cd is one that will definitely have heavy rotation in my cd player. With a million and one bands out there that feel the need to be labeled "indie" or "punk" or "emo," its awesome to have a band that can skip between genres so effortlessly. Added bonus (for me anyway) : The bass player’s name is Amanda Kiemick and my name is Katie Kiedyk....we rhyme!
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Excellent. That’s the only way to describe The Escape Engine’s Celebrity Role Model. Hardcore and heavy, and very melodic, there really isn’t any new ground broken on Celebrity Role Model, but The Escape Engine do it so well. When bands like this connect(think of Dead Poetic, A Static Lullaby, Thrice) the music can be cathartic and amazing, but so much hardcore can also come off as repetitive and unfocused. The great trick on Celebrity Role Model is that the songs get better with each listen; these aren’t verse/chorus/verse songs that you’ll get after one or two times. Instead, songs like "A Lesson in Futility" are more complex, starting at a slow burn and moving to an explosive climax; vocalist Dom Lettera can really belt it out, and it won’t be long before you’re shrieking right along with him. "Transparent" is a cool little interlude that provides a break in the middle of the album, and segues into the rolling, rumbling drums of "Weapon Of Choice." Other highlights include the title track and the up-tempo punked out first single "This Jagged Alibi." The final conclusion: this is a record that connects on every level, seek it out and you’ll know.
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Five Stars 
WHO? Emotionally tinged New Jersey hardcore band whose first video was shot by Darren Doane (Jimmy Eat World, Snapcase).
SOUNDS LIKE? Boy Sets Fire before the major-label bucks spoiled 'em-urgent, impassioned and brutal hardcore, that's built for sing-alongs.
HOW IS IT? Simply put, this is an amazing debut from a band we're guessing you're going to be hearing a lot more about.
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