36 Crazyfists: A Snow Capped Romance

The follow up to "Bitterness the Star", 36 Crazyfists expanded their sound a bit and shifted toward more of a metalcore sounding outfit. I enjoyed "Bitterness the Star", it's probably my favorite of 36's for the reason that many others have stated; the main draw to that album was Brock Lindow's vocals. His unique style was showcased on their previous album due to fact that they played a much more Nu-metal sound; very simple and fun. Now, that's not to say the band does not showcase Lindow's vocals on "A Snow Capped Romance", far from it, but here we see his range expand vocally. The trademark sound remains, but there is far more singing on the album, which is a bit of change, but a good change. This allowed the band to add more depth to their music and improve their song writing. Songs like "Blood Work" and "Destroy the Map" show off this depth clearly, using a metalcore driven sound with multiple aspects of Lindow's voice on display. As for the music, again, they have shifted gears towards the metalcore sound, which I felt was a successful transition. "The Heart and the Shape" is an excellent showing of their newfound direction as is "At the End of August". Both are heavier, but do not overshadow the vocals. Overall, the album has more depth to its core, but doesn't stray too far from "Bitterness the Star" in any sense of a complete overhaul. Growth is inevitable from all artists, so one shouldn't be surprised to hear some development to their sound as they mature. Metalcore fans will not be disappointed with this release.

Highlights: "The Heart and the Shape" "Blood Work" "At the End of August"

Rating: 3.5