The first thing I noticed when I popped this into my computer's CD player is that the disc was 8 tracks long. Rip-off, thought I, and rightfully so- no one wants to pay over $16 dollars for a disc of less than 10 or 12 tracks. Then I saw that the time was a little under 45 minutes in length, so it's not one of those over-in-half-an-hour discs we all love to hate. I've heard of this band previously before engaging the play mechanism on the system, from a friend of mine who's a BIG hardcore freak (emphasis on "freak"), and since I'm not a big fan of the style (there's a few in my collection, but not many) I wasn't too ecstatic when I sat back to listen to the album.
I come off of the listening time impressed. This is more metalcore than straight-up hardcore, kind of like Zao's All Else Failed or Overcome's post- Tooth & Nail releases. There's a nice, heavy groove going throughout the 8 tracks (still can't get over that), with the scream style vocals engaged. Nice n' tight set, never getting too old or stagnate with the music ("To A Dying Friend" has a great riff nestled within).
I found the lyrics smart and well-written, introspective and gut-wrenching. Did these guys steal my personal journal or something? Check out this part of "Field Of Blood": "I can no longer hang on / Now I reach out in desperation / Have I gone too far away / Can you still forgive...wretched man I am / I know your grace is endless in supply / But my actions have reversed the effect...in my life". "To A Dying Friend" is equally heavy: "We had a bond...brothers of like precious faith / We let the one thing we hate tear us apart / The enemy...we despise / Has had the victory in our separation / I know we can win if we forgive and fight back...against the enemy!!"
Bottom line here is that I was surprised at how much I like this CD. Metalcore fans consume now.
8/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #96Reviewed by Treble BandopplerGFTF makes its metalcore interesting by bringing in expansive doom, tumultuous thrash, and thundering speed riffs that launch mad hardcore verses. Another successful variable is that they easily escape being a Living Sacrifice/Meshuggah clone, or just another tuff-guy hardcore band with metal riffs (which we really need like a hole in the head). The powerful vocals, eery bgv's, and massive,…Similar sounding releases
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