36 Crazyfists: Rest Inside the Flames

As a fan of the previous two albums, I was rather disappointed with "Rest Inside the Flames". On "Bitterness the Star" we saw a band playing Nu-metal and experimenting with their own artist vision. On "A Snow Capped Romance" the band began to develop their music into a more metalcore sound, but overall the music itself was much more layered in sound. On this release, 36 Crazyfists display their best effort of the three musically. The riffs and melodies are catchy and memorable while the depth of the album hold a very matured sound. A sound reminiscent of Atreyu or Bullet for my Valentine however, not so much of 36 Crazyfist. At least not the 36 Crazyfists of the previous albums. On "Rest Inside the Flames" the band has indeed grown into a more developed and comfortable sound, but at the cost of shedding most of its unique sounds particularly, Brock Lindow's vocals. On the previous album, we heard Lindow begin singing a lot more, which was a refreshing sound.

 However, on this release, there is far more singing, with the addition of emo sounding portions and the subtraction of that trademark voice of his. Again, this album is really not that bad in terms of the metalcore sound that was big in 2006. It's a pretty consistent album straight through with a few balladesque songs, but it's also consistently mainstream. I can't knock a band for trying to grow their sound or develop their abilities, so I won't be taking any points off for their artist visions however, moving away from the 36 Crazyfists sound is where my negativity lies. Many other bands have shifted sounds throughout their careers and played that sound well (In Flames comes to mind). But when your name is attached to a particular sound and you move away from that sound, you're bound to alienate some of the fan-base of old. I hope this isn't the case for 36 Crazyfists, so I'll keep an open mind moving forward with any future releases.

Highlights: “Aurora” “Elysium” “Midnight Swim”

Rating: 2.5

36 Crazyfists: Bitterness the Star

"Bitterness the Star" was my first experience with 36 Crazyfists back in high school and it left quite an impression on me, one that never faded with time. I would describe this as NU/metalcore leaning more towards the Nu-metal side of the spectrum. As I've stated before, being Nu-metal in nature, has far less technicality behind its sound, but that makes it no less enjoyable than any of their other releases. The simplistic sound is the perfect medium to put Brock Lindow's vocals front and center, which is undoubtedly the most recognized aspect of this album. Speaking of Lindow's vocals, the only way I can explain them would be to compare them to Gerrit Mutz from Sacred Steel. Either you love them or you hate them. I loved them then and even though their sound has matured over the years, allowing Lindow to expand his vocal range, I still enjoy his voice. Don't let the Nu-metal label frighten you. Yes, this isn't the most musically diverse album on the planet, but it has plenty of catchy riffs, crisp drumming and memorable songs. Fans of metalcore and Nu-metal (Especially Glassjaw) should give this a listen.

Highlights: “Turns to Ashes” “Slit Wrist Theory” “An Agreement Called Forever”

Rating: 3.5

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