With Resistance "s/t" CD
[Immigrant Sun]
This Jersey band plays melodic modern metalcore with scathing vocal screams and a big nod to really heavy emo in the songwriting, as well as chunky breakdowns, technical discordant runs, etc. They also balance things out with some clean guitars every now and then, but not too frequently. It's really not particularly original, but it's good for what it is, and as a whole these guys are far superior songwriters compared to a lot of comparable bands out there that are sadly more popular than With Resistance is. I'd like to hear some vocal variation since the music is far more diverse than the unrelenting screaming of the vocal delivery, and I think some solid singing would really add to this material, but other than that I do enjoy what I'm hearing. The middle of the disc really gets quite good. "Chalk and Charcoal" is the one song that really stands out big time, actually introducing some quiet singing, synths, piano, and lush clean guitars (under delay effects) - sans percussion or additional instrumentation. Very nice. "Peripherals" begins briefly with acoustic guitars and then blows right into an energetic burst of melodic chords and tight drum fills with great dual guitar interaction and quick rhythmic changes; there's a lot of great moderately complex riffing in "Wither", as well as some really powerful tempo changes and whatnot; and "Condition Red" is just a memorable, energetic track that works in its generally straightforward delivery. The depressing thing about this otherwise pretty god damn good record is that the recording is way too thin to do justice to these potentially incredible songs. The guitar tone has a weird sheen to it, the bass is almost impossible to hear in many respects, the drums lack density and are a bit clicky, etc. The vocals sound fine to me, but the mix as a whole just needs more force and density behind it to push things forward... it all falls too flat right now. But I dig the visuals here. Nice, consistent colors and textures, tasteful imagery and font use... not bad at all. The lyrics are generally personal but tend to have a mix of positive and bitter messages, occasionally hinting at larger topics as well. "I'm not your enemy but I'm not naïve. I know in your eyes the joke's on me. Forgotten ideals brought new found pleasures with new friends. And this is better? To you a friend in need is just an enemy." I'd definitely give this a higher rating if the production was more effective. The more I listen to this the more I like the songs and many of the individual riffs. I expect and hope to hear big things from this band in the future, with the right budget and the right studio they could be really fucking good. My eyes will be peeled... (6/10)
Running time - 29:47, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Peripherals, Wither, Chalk and Charcoal, Condition Red, All Halos Broken]
With Resistance - http://www.withresistance.com

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