A lot has been made of this band, and my biggest regret is that I waited until Burning Records finally re-released this album otherwise I could have been enjoying this incredible material a long time ago. (For those who didn't know, the band released the album on their own and then it was picked up and re-released by Burning Records, but it took some time to get it released.)
Bottom line is all the hype is correct, and deserved more than any other band out there right now. This album reeks of imagination and influences from Chuck Schuldiner (From Death who passed away on December 13, 2001) to whom the album is dedicated to his memory. Incredible guitar leads work their way through each and every song with precision and a level of technicality we have not seen in a long time. The drumming is outstanding. Never settling for a simple barrage of double bass this guy works his kit like he's out to destroy it. With a couple of instances of their older hardcore days poking its head in here and there it's hard not to say that these moments to kind of stand out. Either for the good or bad depending on your reaction to metalcore.
Lyrically I've got to quote the lines from track 4 'Illumination' a song which for the better part is spent analyzing a person's life and the futility of their actions. The song wraps up however with these impacting lines:
My faith can illumine what you can not see.
Watch your world crumble and fall around your ears.
Denying the spirit your body will fail.
Yet the infinite reach of evil tinged logic envelops life with indelible strength.
Almost makes me wonder if that song alone was not written with Chuck Schuldiner in mind (who was known for quoting Friedrich Nietzsche both in lyrics and album inserts.) All in all this is one of our scene's top 10 metal albums. If you let this one get by you, you need to get your head checked, because something just isn't right up there.
9.5/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #98Reviewed by Doug Van PeltThis band unleash credible and furious metalcore with singing guitars and death/black shrieking vox. Beautifully intense.Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by Hey YouThe first thing I'm going to say is get this album as fast as you can. This is THE BEST Christian death metal album I have ever heard. That includes the newest Soul Embraced, Crimson Thorn, and any other album you can throw out. This is also one of the best overall death metal albums I have heard. It's just plain genius. It's crazy, beautiful, and brutal. There are parts that just make you sit…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by NecRoSarXAt the time of this writing, this album hasn't been released nationwide yet (check out their website at http://listen.to/crutch for more info on that). Here's a CD that you, the extreme Christian metal freak, should greatly anticipate. This is METAL. Yep, capital M, capital E, capital...you get the idea. The overall vibe of this CD is classic thrash with death leanings (mostly on account of the…Similar sounding releases
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