The Texan quintet—rounded out by violinist Ryan Delahoussaye, guitarist C.B. Hudson, bassist Matt Noveskey, and drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld—has been practicing their exhaustingly intense games of emotional give and take since forming in 1996. Frontman and principal songwriter Justin (the younger Furstenfeld by 14 months) naturally assumed the lightning rod position, literally crafting diary entries into shockingly forthcoming tunes about all things abuse and addiction (“Hate Me” being the watershed). Blue October’s rabid admirers responded in kind, roaring confessionals right back at them, a phenomenon gorgeously captured on the band’s 2004 double-live CD/DVD Argue With a Tree, which synchronizes the vocalist’s telling lyrical anecdotes with similarly heartfelt fan testimonials.

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