Well, holy shit... they pulled it off without a hitch. The new vocalist and all, that is. I had severe doubts about it, but I'm damn pleased to say that these songs sound just as good as anything the band has done previously. Admittedly there are a few snoozers, but at the same time, opener "A Bid Farewell" is an amazing fucking song - one of their best yet. Stylistically this record sounds very similar to "Alive or Just Breathing", the main difference being that it's a bit heavier - definitely a full-blown metal record... there's really nothing left that ties them to much of a metalcore slant. There are occasional breakdown styled mosh rhythms, but in the context in which they're used they're not really "hardcore-ish". Overall it's basically a slew of thrashy riffs, a little melodic Swedish death metal, chunkier chord progressions, some melodic runs, etc. Of course the vocals still mix singing and screaming and whatnot, and, as always, most of the choruses are absolutely astounding. "When Darkness Falls", "Rose of Sharyn", the aforementioned "A Bid Farewell", and numerous others all display immensely catchy choruses. Honestly it's the heaviest tracks that are actually the least interesting. For instance, "World Ablaze" is far more sinister and aggressive than any other track, but it's also the most boring. The chorus is absolutely amazing, of course (ironically one of the best on the entire disc), but the rest of the track is a little long for what it offers, and the overly staccato riffing gets stale. The same can be said for "Hope Is..." The title track is fucking slick as shit, though. Opening with a curious melodic riff that rings of the 80's to me, and then layering in a few thicker and far heavier rhythms against distant singing vocals for one of the more moderately paced and forceful compositions herein (and yes, the chorus is insanely memorable). "Wasted Sacrifice" is strange in that it combines the most typical set of riffs with the most unusual and creative the band has displayed yet - the unusual layering and dissonant arpeggios of the chorus. Recording wise it sounds very nice. The drums are a tad rigid for my tastes, and I think thicker percussion could've added even more to the record (as could a more prominent bass presence), but for the most part the mix is dead on. The guitar tone is fucking perfect, totally tight but perfectly honed and crunchy (not to mention crystal fucking clear), and the vocals sound superb as well. The layout's pretty cool. There are a lot of busy textures layered over everything, including the number of live shots that line the pages, and it all looks alright. Some of the imagery is a little typical, but it's well presented. The lyrics are tightly packed into the pages, and everything is printed with a weird finish that's neither glossy nor matte - it's right in the middle of the two (which is awesome). Lyrically things stick to the personal tip, and despite a lot of seemingly negative rounds, aren't so in the end: "This is our moment, will you stand and fight with me? Hope is not lost, hope is not lost. Let the strength of your words be the spark that ignites the flame..." All I can say is that this fuckin' thing sold more than 37,000 copies it its first week, and it's damn good, so it deserves to have yielded such numbers. Check it out, 'cause this band is still goin' places.
[Roadrunner]
Running time - 42:30, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: A Bid Farewell, Rose of Sharyn, The End of Heartache, Wasted Sacrifice]
Roadrunner Records - http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com
