Just picked up the 20th anniversary silver edition vinyl release.

This album changed my life at age 11. I remember seeing the music video for Ohio is For Lovers and falling in love instantly with the mix of melodic singing and intense screaming. It clicked for me more than anything else I heard as a kid going through some dark times, an album that said "life is hard, make music about it." Hawthorne Heights became my optimism through school to college and beyond, becoming my favorite bands for two decades. I still love them deeply, even after the changes, the new members, when they put out their own music after Victory.

For the album itself, it really smacks of something fresh. Each song feels like it could have been a radio hit next to Ohio is For Lovers, though I'm glad Niki FM got the single treatment. I always loved Hawthorne Heights' balance of singing and screaming as someone who never quite made it into screamo. The melodic guitar riffs feel iconic, the drums a driving force, with lyrics of love and loss and promises kept and broken.

Though, I don’t know if this will ever sound as good as it did in 7th grade, having the biaural experience with my portable cd player on the bus, drowning out the bullies.