To say Forever Came Calling blazed their own trail out of 29 Palms, CA would be an understatement. The road to ''Contender'' was chock full basement shows, DIY tours, and relentless self promotion. The band's story is certainly unique as the went from hawking burned CD's on the '10 Warped Tour to being a focal point in the story line of the Vans Shoes documentary shot that year, ''No Room For Rockstars.'' Their debut full length is equal parts angsty pop punk mixed with well crafted and thought out rock structures. The record clearly pays homage to early 2000's emotional punk rock but with a more agressive delivery. ''Contender'' is a statement that hard work really does pay off, even if you're from a small town in the middle of no where.