As Night Falls "The End of All Innocence" CD
[The Agency]
What the hell? The layout here makes this look like a generic metalcore EP, but it's actually really poppy and melodic heavy radio emo type stuff. There are a few metally riffs, but its mostly melodic chord progressions with singing vocals and a faint bit of screaming. There are even some female vocals in the backup harmonies (compliments of one of the guitarists). The songs are okay, they're sort of catchy in some ways. Something's off, though. Because I eat this shit up when it's done right, and this isn't really doing much for me. For one thing, and I rarely say this, but the vocal harmonies are too pronounced in the mix. The vocals are a lot brighter than the instruments as it is, but the harmonies really overpower everything. The recording is also problematic in that the guitars are a little bit lifeless. The clean guitars are rounded out but plain, the distorted guitars have too much of an upper-midrange bite, and the mix needs work (especially in the transitions from clean to distorted parts). It sounds okay, but it's not where it needs to be. As far as the writing... it's typical, it's just not good enough to really catch my attention. I sort of think they should drop the metal parts and maybe the few screaming areas as well, because those passages are never that hot. Polishing up the recording would help as well, as it always does for this style, but I don't know... They're all great singers, the harmonies are incredible and I really like the cleanliness of the various members' deliveries, so that's a plus. But the heavy chord progressions can sound really forced, I don't know... they need to settle on a middlegorund. I also don't like that they use so many blatant clean passages, because those also sound forced and sort of "alternative" at times (see the cheesy "If Stained Glass Only Knew"). I'm not wild on the layout because it's just a bit bland to me. I can live with it, it just doesn't catch my eye, nor does it properly represent the music in the least. The tracks deal with personal issues and don't really do anything for me: "Water falls down from the rooftops of the abused and the ignored. No one hears cries, too busy with their own lives. Tragedy strikes the hearts of the fallen. Take me away..." I don't know. Yet another that could be really god, but they're just not there right now. It's pretty boring, but it does display talent. (4/10)
Running time - 16:43, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: False Sense of You]
The Agency Records - http://www.theagencyrecords.com

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