you have questions - they have answers

Dispersed across the carpet, bundled in travel-worn sleeping bags, and enraptured by life on the road, the band sleeps off the harsh labor of a day on tour and the beer that followed the set. Their lifestyle is a mystery to most, but an obvious necessity to others. Night after night they play a set to an audience – whether those in attendance are eager to hear the sounds of their guitars or are less than enthused. To me it’s inconceivable how one couldn’t consume the wailing guitars and crooning vocals with a hungry appetite. To me it’s inconceivable to even imagine not wanting to allow the well-written lyrics to enter my frame of mind. To me it is inconceivable to not want to witness The Panic Division take the stage.

Their full-length and most recent release, Versus, is an album that shows the confidence the band has within their sound. Though the sound of the eleven tracks has a tendency to meld together and make it seem as though The Panic Division has taken a safe route with their sound – the lyrics prove that they have not. Lyrical depth is an essential trait that many modern-day bands lack and hinders any serious reception within musical communities, but The Militia Group was wise in signing this band. Their lyrics span the expected such as heartbreak, but also include the rarely covered topics of social ailments, a more mature choice of subject matter.

To play to a venue in an unfamiliar area with a crowd who is unfamiliar with your music can be a very daunting task. To have the crowd stand back five feet from the stage - too removed to be bothered with actually reacting to the music. To look into the eyes of the crowd before the first note has even been strummed and register the indifference that is present in the mass of those in attendance. The Panic Division has dealt with all this and discards it as superficial information and observations – they are here to play be it at the Alley in Fullerton, CA or The White Rabbit in San Antonio, TX. They are on the stage to play to three people or to three hundred people. Numbers are unnecessary and inconsequential and the heart that goes into their performance reflects this. They thoroughly enjoy what they are doing and thrive to infect the audience with the same passion that they themselves possess.

The band hails from the humid state of Texas. Colton Holliday is credited with the founding of the band – comprised mainly of friends who like to join and share their music with those willing to listen. Although the line-up changes from time to time – drummers, and other members, coming and going – the fact remains that The Panic Division is astounding. The songwriting process for The Panic Division is different than that belonging to most bands. Starting as a prominently instrumental band, songs stem from looped samples and not song lyrics or short guitar riffs. The focus of the music is the music itself and not the distracters of lyrics. The music of The Panic Division speaks volumes without Colton uttering a word – his vocals only firming the jolting impact.

It’s useless to try and simplify the music of The Panic Division into the oversaturated genre of alternative rock. They exist outside the boundaries of a certain genre, of a certain title, of a certain label. The influences of the band span a range of electronic titles to those of the rock genre. This variety shows in the music – from older tracks to the newest material that has yet to be mastered. The eclectic mix of influences can be a deterrent to those not familiar with the unique instrumentation and is a relief to those burned out on a scene of musical clones. Their fans are dedicated – a result of the band’s own dedication. But the word still needs to be spread to those needing a positive escape, to those longing for a new addiction, to those searching for the “songs of a dead poet.”