Reviewed by Greg Sammons

Whilst I am not denying this is fairly good quality music in a popular genre, the place where hardcore and metal meet, you just can't help feeling this is just a little unoriginal. Perhaps, though, I'm being a little harsh and I'm just suffering from metalcore overload! After all, there are some fairly good tracks on here; it just doesn't seem to stand out enough from the rest of the album to remain memorable. This is Seventh Star's second album on Facedown, both as brutal as each other but in rather different ways. This album does seem to incorporate a more metal sound but nonetheless fits into the hardcore bracket. The production is excellent (Kurt Ballou - Converge) and the artwork is great. More importantly the lyrics are important and interesting, although our Catholic readers may be a little wary of 'My 96th Thesis', which provides part of their new vocalist's testimony. The vocalist seems to lack the experience or range needed to raise this band any higher than their current audience but nonetheless gives his all. The title cut and "Resistance To Resistance" showcase the best of the band's ability and to a metalcore novice would provide a good introduction to the genre.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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