Beyond the Embrace "Insect Song" CD
[Metal Blade]
I wasn't blown away by this band's last record, but it was decent, and I feel pretty much the same way about this (but this one has a ridiculous album title - let's face it). I think they've gotten a bit more creative with their songwriting, as there seem to be a lot more rock and traditional metal elements seeping in this time, thankfully shaving down a bit of the melodic Swedish death metal influences, but it's still nothing new per se. They've still got the three guitarists thing going on, and they make pretty good use of it, but I wouldn't guess they had three guitarists if I didn't already know. The vocals are a mix of totally throaty rocked out singing and then fairly typical midrange screams. I actually like the singing stuff, which makes for strong choruses, but it doesn't fit the music so well, it would be more at home with something like that radio-ish band Soil or something like that. There are a few chunky breakdowns that have a metalcore vibe, and those lack the movement and energy of the more rocked out runs as well. I don't know. The harmonies are totally derivative, but still well handled, and the songs are decent, it's just a boring record. The clean guitars and warm, bluesy leads that start the title track are great, and lead off a nice song that's a bit more powerful in overall delivery, and the following acoustic based instrumental "Ashes" is also nice... but aside from these mid-record highpoints, nothing really grabs my attention with this one. Aside from the fact that the drums are a little lifeless and the cymbals sound like drum machines, I think the production's okay. The vocals are clear, there's a lot of character to the guitar tone, you can make the basslines out, etc. It'd sound better if the vocals were a closer match to the guitars in texture and volume, and the bass should be louder, but the drums are really the only area that needs true consideration. The layout, not surprisingly, contains a lot of dirty sort of insect imagery, which is actually sort of cool even though I'm not too fond of the layout as a whole. It comes off as a bit jumbled and repetitious, but that's life. I'm not into the lyrics because they're bluntly personal in a generally simplistic manner that just doesn't work for me in this context. "Ever stopped to think, Our one guarantee is death, Manmade end in sight, Bite down, and go without regrets..." This band just doesn't do much for me. They're completely competent, and I don't have many truly negative things to say about them, but they're not an interesting act. The songs sound similar to one another in tempo and atmosphere, the harmonies are generic, and the bulk of their style is still too typical. The vocalist has a lot going for him and could do some serious damage with his singing in a more fitting musical framework, but... that's about all I can say here. (5/10)
Running time - 43:16, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Insect Song, Ashes]
Metal Blade Records - http://www.metalblade.com

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