Having a crush on someone is an awkward experience. A quick glance here, an embarrassing encounter there — it’s like this huge game of cat and mouse, crusher versus crushee. There’s nothing worse than having a crush; that is, except trying to get over it.

Somewhere in this tangle of emotion is where Glasseater finds their home. Their latest album, “Everything is Beautiful if You Don’t Look Down,” is a musical documentation of life’s up and downs, a personal view into the trials and tribulations of being in and out of a relationship.

A part of Victory Records’ roster, Miami-based Glasseater is most often lumped in with bands under the “screamo” genre — the new buzzword that finds common ground with bands like Thursday, Thrice and Poison the Well. Screamo: one part scream, two parts emo; it’s punk rock attitude in a hardcore shell, heavy guitars and breakdowns contrasted with the delicate singing of a broken heart on a sleeve.

Photo courtesy of Victory Records

Glasseater is made up of Ariel Arro on guitar, Julio Marin on vocals, Anthony Lopez on bass, J.C. Lopez on guitar and vocals and Nate Dame on drums.

The name Glasseater is more than just an obscure Simpsons reference; their musical and lyrical direction has pushed it toward a much more fitting title than even the band might have intended. Glasseater writes songs of emotion and heartache; much like digesting shards of a shattered window, it tears up the insides.

Formed in 1998, the quintet met through the local Miami scene. Attending many of the same hardcore and punk shows, they eventually got together and formed a band with the hopes of blending their different musical tastes. In the beginning, it was not much more than that. Bassist and backing vocalist Anthony Lopez explained to AMP Magazine, “When we first started, we were just doing it to play shows and have a good time, not many goals were set. It was only until a year or two later that things got more serious that we started setting goals and all.”
Glasseater has accomplished quite a lot in their five-year existence. They started out by playing local clubs and funding their own small tours during summer and winter breaks. Eventually, the band’s intense live shows and growing popularity offered them chances to play with the likes of AFI, Green Day, Dillinger Escape Plan, Dashboard Confessional and other bigwigs in the scene.

Between all the touring and playing out locally, the band was also able to attract the attention of more than just a few labels. Making more contacts than most bands can even imagine, Glasseater debuted on Ides of March Records, then subsequently put out records on Eulogy and Fearless before releasing their latest effort on Victory.

The newest album, despite receiving a lot of positive response from fans, has also been subject to much harsher criticism. There are those who feel that Glasseater, along with their other emo-hardcore cohorts, have worn out their welcome in the scene. The half-singing, half-screaming blend of hardcore has been replicated to the point of monotony. While Glasseater may be sincere, their originality has been buried under the mountain of bands with similar names, sounds and lyrics. They have fallen victim to their own flourishing trend.

Fortunately for them, this doesn’t seem to have affected their fan base much. With their aggressive touring and energetic live shows, Glasseater is still able to draw big crowds and even garner some respect from their most daunted of critics. If a continually mounting audience is any sign, these five boys may just be able to outlive the copycats around them. For many loyal fans, the crush on Glasseater won’t be one that goes away too easily.

As part of the “Vans Off the Wall Club Tour” Glasseater will perform Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. The date also includes appearances by Sick of it All, Avenged Sevenfold, The Unseen and Western Waste. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets, on the day of the show, are $15.