I certainly don't mean to diminish this band's efforts by calling them the Canadian Hatebreed, but let's call a spade a spade here: This does sound a whole hell of a lot like Hatebreed. Burly breakdowns, chunky power chords all over the place, vicious vocal shouts, short and simple arrangements... it's all here. Now, Figure Four is a little bit more metallic to some degree, not by much, they still follow the classic metalcore formula for the most part, but there are some riffs here that are more based in metal, leaning towards quirkier time signatures or note choices, etc. But the vast majority of what you'll hear on this disc is moderately paced hardcore with a really brutal edge and no frills. And don't get me wrong, I think it's really fucking good. I have no real quarrels with it. The songs are good, I can get into it, and that's all I give a shit about. Original? Nah. But fuck it, they're really good at what they do. Tracks like "Hear My Words" are pissed as shit and in your face, and that gets the job done right. I think the production could be better suited for their delivery, but they're doing alright. I'd avoid the rigid drum tones for sure, and the vocals are too far out front. But to solve both of those problems they could just crank the guitars and the bass to make a solid wall of sound. A thicker, crunchier core of guitars and bass is all they truly need to add more punch to the performance - which is tight and on the mark. I'm not that into the layout, but it could be much worse. I just don't like the stylistic illustrations for some reason. I've seen better from the artist, and the color scheme here is a little bland. But everything does look very clean, and the band photos are totally pro. Lyrically all of the songs are to the point and deal with personal hardships, observations, and problems, etc. "Where have we gone? What have we created ourselves? Indecision plagues our minds. Indecision. This is our world. And when a stance is taken, it's always written off. No one wants to listen. It's always written off. I don't have all the answers, but I have a few. Still I'm in constant battle. Honestly I just can't write this off..." Good stuff. If you're into Hatebreed and the other bands that sound not unlike them (Throwdown, Until the End, and so on), this is definitely something you'll appreciate. Like I said, the songs are good, and that's what matters. Who cares if they're not reinventing the wheel?
[Solid State]
Running time - 33:25, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Hear My Words, We Were Invincible, Miles Away]
Solid State Records - http://www.solidstaterecords.com
