Reviewed by Paul S Ganney

This is the fifth and final album from the metal musicians from Redlands, California. Click play and immediately we're off - hard riffing guitars with half-shouted vocals (although I rather liked the long held vocal in "Hosanna"). All this over a solid drum and bass foundation (and I mean solid - the rhythmic twists are tighter than a tourniquet - "Haunted" is a very good example of this). It's a bit Faith No More with some Black Sabbath style riffs (eg, "Fly. Fight. Crow.") with nods towards the likes of Linkin Park and Slayer. The opening track is called "Preachcore Lives" which is a clear indication as to what you're in for. Preach it certainly does and metalcore it does equally as well. It doesn't let up for a moment with riffing of the highest order. When they chant "someone paid the price for me" on "Second Chance Kids" you have no doubt who they're singing about - if you do have any doubts then the other tracks provide plenty of hints. (The same track also contains a repeated "no compromise" which fits their overall sound well). The closest they come to light and shade is probably on the closing "No Sleep Pt 2" which has some excellent mood changes within it. This album's not subtle - either musically or lyrically - but what would you expect from this impressive team of musical evangelists. We'll miss them.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.