A Perfect Murder: Unbroken

The early to mid-2000’s was prime time for hardcore and metalcore bands alike to gain the attention of record labels looking to capitalize on the movement. One of the bigger labels of the time, Victory Records, had a strong stable of stalwarts during this period and sought to add to their growing roster by adding Canada’s A Perfect Murder.

Much as any era in the metal continuity, be it thrash, death or glam, you will inevitably have a number of bands that simple copy the formula of what’s currently popular and try to emulate the sound as best as possible. This was no different during the Core era, where it seemed out of the dozens of new albums being released each month, only a handful stood out amongst the rest. A Perfect Murder happened to be one of those standouts, as they added enough flair to their metalcore sound, giving their music its own identity.

Yes, the music on “Unbroken” is first and foremost metalcore and with it, a number of breakdowns will be present. That being said, it is a trademark of the genre, but there are other layers to their sound that will appease both the core crowd and metalheads alike. The most noticeable influence would be the groove sounding guitars ala Pantera on a number of their songs. Not only that, but there are elements of thrash to be heard here as well, which reminds me a bit of Machine Head around the time they released out “Through the Ashes of Empires”.

The double guitar approach works very well for A Perfect Murder’s style. We receive a hefty supply of heavy, chugging riffs steeped heavily within Pantera sounding grooves, but there are also a number catchy, melodic riffs as well. The rhythms add a nice layer to the metal aspect of their brand of metalcore, incorporating well timed guitar fills and sections that serve as an interchanging of sounds to bolster said metal aspect. The mixture of riffs provides a nice ebb and flow of sound that allows for certain segments of songs to carry the metalcore aggressiveness commonly heard at the time, while the rhythms help the songs transition seamlessly into melodic passages that keep them from getting stale. There are also a number of well executed solos to be heard, that may not shred your face off, but do provide a nice splash of thrash metal to the overall sound. Now, solos in metalcore is not completely out of the norm, but generally those who incorporated them into their albums tended to have a more distinct sound and a stronger replay value. (God Forbid, Shadows Fall). In any case, the solos are a welcome addition to the already strong foundation most of the songs are built upon.

Carl Bouchard channels a great deal of anger and contempt through his vocals, which have a nice raspy sound when he shouts. (shouts being the majority of the vocals) Many times on this album, his voice sounds very comparable to that of Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, carrying the same hatred fueled aggression of the legendary hardcore icon. The drums provide a steady rhythm through the album and have a very tight sound to their beats, but otherwise, they do not make a lasting impression, but provide more than enough power for the metalcore sound. The bass can be heard, playing right along with the guitars in the background, which is hard to detect at first, but once you hear it, the sound comes through. Production wise, aside from the bass, everything sounds clean and crisp. No one instrument hogs the limelight, while Bouchard’s vocals never seem overbearing.

As I said, in 2004, you could have easily stumbled across any number of rinse and repeat core acts going with the flow and trying and strike gold. However, as the popularity of the sound began to wane, those who were unable to distance themselves from sounding like just another face in the crowd, quickly became an afterthought. Fortunately, A Perfect Murder’s blend of groovy metalcore served as a nice intermediate sound to please those both in the core scene, but also draw the interest of metalheads who enjoyed a heavy dose of chugging grooves and thrashy solos. Either way, this was a nice find at the time and still holds up well today.

Highlights: “Possessed” “Another Day, Another Plague” “Save the Clock”

Rating: 3

A Perfect Murder: Strength Through Vengeance

A year after their debut on Victory Records, Canada’s A Perfect Murder released their follow up titled “Strength Through Vengeance”. Their previous album, “Unbroken” saw the band play a traditional sounding metalcore sound popular around that time, but spiced things up with an extra infusion of groove metal that channeled their inner Pantera influence. “Strength Through Vengeance” would see the blend of metalcore and groove continue, but the band would add even more depth to their sound.

The duel guitar approached was a success on “Unbroken”, but their tandem abilities really shine on this album. The first addition to their sound comes from the leads. Although “Strength Through Vengeance” still dwell within the chugging Pantera grooves, there are now plenty of thrash sounding riffs to be heard as well. The riffs remind me a lot of Trivium’s “The Crusade” another metalcore album that was given a high octane thrash infusion as well as Machine Head’s “The Balckening”. This time around, the band is able to cycle between thick and groovy riffs, while also unleashing a quicker, more aggressive riffs effortlessly that, in my opinion, sounds a lot more heavy metal, than most metalcore acts. The rhythms are another area where the band fine-tuned their sound. Once again, they offer some nice displays of technicality and melodic passages throughout the album, but on this album, they create a much more harmonious atmosphere with the leads. The solos are also turned up a notch on “Strength Through Vengeance” as there are some serious thrash segments to be heard on this album. Plenty of catchiness from hooks, to leads to solos will enter your ears throughout the album.

I’ve mentioned Pantera enough already, but one simply cannot ignore the similarities Carl Bouchard vocals have to that of Phil Anselmo. Combined with many of the chugging grooves on some of the songs, you would think you were listening to the minor league version of Pantera, which is by no means an insult. That being said, the Jamey Jasta, Hatebreed influenced is still heard in his voice as well, particularly when he belts out some of his harsh yells, which keep his sound rooted in the core scene.

The drumming is another area that has been bolstered. Not that they were lackluster by any means on “Unbroken”, but on “Strength Through Vengeance” they add much more to the rhythm section with a very thrashesque sound, but never losing their metalcore roots in process. This results in a heavy, pulsating tone set by the drums, which on their own, could drive most of the songs forward, but fortunately, all the instruments harmonize very nicely as to drive the music forward as a team. The only let down for me and I tread lightly here, would be the bass. The bass, once again, tends to get lost in the background most of the time, but I will attest that after listening to both albums, the lack of bass does not take away from either album’s success. That being said, it would have been interesting to hear what the bass may have added to these albums. Given their thrashy and groovy nature, an extra punch of bass may have added an additional layer to their sound for the better.

At the end of the day, I felt “Strength Through Vengeance” surpasses their predecessor with the additional sounds added and the polish slapped onto their musicianship. This may be metalcore to its bones, which I know many metalheads tend to shy away from, but A Perfect Murder offer more than your standard metalcore sound. “Strength Through Vengeance” would be a nice listen for any fans of Pantera, Machine Head or Trivium, but also any thrash enthusiast who isn’t afraid to have one foot in a world not often accepted.

Highlights: “Deceit of Man” “Slay the Masses” “Strength Through Vengeance”

Rating: 3.5

Waterdown: The Files the You Have on Me

Metalcore from Germany was the banner on the advertisement for Waterdown’s “The Files You Have on Me” and I must admit, I was intrigued. With just about every hardcore/metalcore band I owned from Killswitch Engage to As I Lay Dying to Shadows Fall, I thought a little international exposure would be interesting. “The Files You Have on Me” is a solid metalcore album that, although you wouldn’t be able to tell was from Germany, easy holds up against the mightiest American acts at the time.

The album opens with “Bulletproof”. You’re greeted with a strange electronic sound before suddenly the drums come crashing in and the first of many catchy riffs takes over. The song has a progressive feel to it as it builds into the clean chorus. Remember this is mid 00’s metalcore; solid riffs, harsh vocals with the spotlight put on clean singing. Marcel Bischoff (who is assisted by Ingo Knollmann) has a very nice blend of the harsh/clean vocals which you’’ hear on various tracks, but I feel his best would be “A Fortress” and “Transient”. There seem to be a lot of emotion put into those songs and it can be heard within the vocals.

As I said, the guitar work is consistently played well throughout the album, creating plenty of memorable riffs and rhythms to help create an overall fierce yet comforting sound. The drumming is also solid, albeit, vanilla in flavor. They provide the necessary sound required to help create a nice harmony and explode with noise with called for, but that’s about it. Par for the course is probably the best way to describe them.

“The Files You Have on Me”, in my opinion, easily fit the bill of the sound that was dominating the music of that era. Compared to the US powers that be, Waterdown could easily hold their own. If you’re a fan of 36 Crazyfists, Killswitch Engage or All Out Remains, I really don’t see how you wouldn’t love this album.

Highlights: “Bulletproof” “A Fortress” “Xerox” “Transient”

Rating: 4

Darkest Hour: Undoing Ruin

“Undoing Ruin” is the follow-up to 2003’s “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation”. Like before, Darkest Hour continue to play well executed metalcore with a slight edge. The base of their sound may be metalcore, but the music they play could easily fit the narrative that many melodic death bands or deathcore bands aspire to achieve.

As mentioned, the music created on “Undoing Ruin” is not your standard metalcore. The guitar work is, once again, very solid, serving as the highlight of the album. Powerful riffs that have both a deathrash and metalcore feel can be heard woven throughout the album. In addition, the melodies created are catchy and well placed and easily keep the listeners foot tapping. Like before, the drums play an important role in the overall makeup of Darkest Hour’s sound. They are consistently pounding away and creating a layer of sound just as important as the guitars. John Henry, aside from vocal duties even plays a little additional drums himself on this album. The song writing, in my mind, is a little better on this release, adding enough variety to the overall sound to give the songs a more distinct sound.

That being said, the main critique that I had against Darkest Hour’s “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation” was that it needed a little more variety to its overall sound, particularly in the vocal department. Now, I enjoyed John Henry’s sound on “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation”. I remember enjoying his, perfect fit for metalcore vocals, but thought they could be so much more if he tried. Unfortunately, the sound is pretty consistently metalcore throughout just as it they were before, but I will say they work. Again, they don’t sound bad at all and they fit the overall sound just fine, but with how much variation is created throughout the music, I feel they miss the opportunity to do the same with the vocals. It is what was it is.

Despite the lack of vocal variation, I felt “Undoing Ruin” was a very nice follow-up to “Hidden Hand of a Sadist Nation”. This album will certainly appease any metalcore fan and while the vocals may deter some more traditionalists, I’d say give it a shot. You may find yourself enjoying It after all.

Highlights: “Sound the Surrender” “Convalescence” “With a Thousand Words to Say But”

Rating: 3.5

Darkest Hour: Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation

“Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation” was my first experience with Darkest Hour. The music here is a well-executed brand of metalcore with varied riffs that chug along, but don’t become white noise like many other acts during this period. In fact, I’d say that many of the riffs and melodies the guitars create sound as if they could be on a melodic death album, (perhaps a hint of Soilwork or Night In Gales) The drums are consistently present on this album. Not once do they become repetitive or just there. I would say that their presence is definitely the base of their sound to which the band can then layer the guitars and vocals on top. Speaking of vocals, John Henry has an excellent voice for the genre. However, given that the sound of this album borders on the verge of melodic death metal, I found his vocals to become rather tiresome in various parts of the album. Certain sections could have benefited from a more guttural sound, while others perhaps could have thrived with some cleaner vocals. Again, they’re not bad, it’s just they remain the same throughout the album. While the drumming and guitar playing are constantly fluctuating, it would have been nice to see the same occur on vocals

All in all, “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation” this is a nice offering from Darkest Hour. 2004 was a pretty crowded time for metalcore. Darkest hour did themselves a favor by putting out a solid effort to help stand out among the crowd that would only increase and smoother many under the radar bands from reaching the success they deserved.

Highlights: “Pay Phones and Pills” “The Patriot Virus” “Marching to the Killing Rhythm”

Rating: 3.5

Beauty to Ashes: Reproduce the Common Practice

Another second hand record shop pick up, Beauty to Ashes was completely unknown to me at the time. I figured it had to be some kind of hardcore, given it was on Pluto records, but there was only one way to find out. This is indeed early 00's; melodic riffs, angry shouts and clean vocals used to create catchy shifts in the narrative. However, unlike the bands that were making it big at the time (i.e.Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and All That Remains) "Reproduce the Common Practice" failed to make much of a lasting impression. The music is formulaic; not horrible, but not fantastic. Just bland. The vocals are your cookie cutter dime a dozen variety, both harsh and cleans while the drums really fail to make any impact other than just being there. All in all, this was your typical, hop on the bandwagon and hope to catch the attention of the hordes of fans at the time. Given the overall sound and this being their only release, you can imagine how the plan worked out. I'll give credit for the effort, but nothing to show in terms of originality or skill. There's one or two decent songs on the album, if you’re a true hardcore/metalcore fan, but other than that, nothing worth checking out when there are dozens of other albums that have done it better.

Highlights: "Bystandards Of Lifestyle Obsession" "Candy Apple Smile"

Rating: 1.5

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

Spineshank: Strictly Diesel

Of all the Nu-metal bands out there, Spineshank is far and away my favorite. I've always loved their industrial touches they add to their music, the raw aggressive approach to their instruments and Johnny Santos' vocals. "The Height of Callousness" and "Self destructive Pattern" get regular listens to this today. However, those two albums of gold would be sandwiched between two lackluster releases in comparison. "Strictly Diesel" was released in 1998 and is as you would imagine, Nu-metal to the bone. The music on this album is nowhere near the level of the following release, staying true to a more simplistic, minimal technique formula with a little hip hop and electronics thrown into the mix. I might even go out on a limb and say that many aspects of this album could be called progressive Nu-metal? I guess, I'm address the issue, that some songs have a less aggressive tone at the start and build into their choruses. Maybe? Either way, this is not a bad album. It's not gold, but it's not trash either. The music here, aside from sounding exactly like it the era it dropped in, is raw and untapped in ability. In many of the songs, you can hear the combination of harsh and soft vocals they would begin to fine tune on their next two releases, but on "Strictly Diesel" they seem just a bit unrefined. The guitars and drums are incredibly vanilla in flavor, but not imitation vanilla if you get my drift. In their defense, I will say that the vanilla approach works for this album, because if Santos would have tried to belt out the vocals used on either of the following releases, this album would be abysmal. Instead, they played the correct balance needed to achieve their sound and his vocals. Again, the use of electronics adds an underlying industrial sound, which adds a nice layer to the overall atmosphere, but they would really learn to use it in the near future. The cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" shows off the best aspects of their style, giving it an interesting change of sound. So, all in all, this is not the greatest of Nu-metal albums, nor is it Spineshank's best, but I would recommend it for those wondering what Nu-metal was all about. It's a nice start to a mildly successful stint the band would soon create for themselves.

Highlights: "Stove Bolt" "Intake" "Where We Fall" "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Rating: 3

Spineshank: The Height of Callousness

"The Height of Callousness" was a big change for Spineshank. On this album, the sound would lose the elements of hip hop and much of their progressiveness displayed on "Strictly Diesel" and become a straight forward monster of aggression. Remember folks, this is still Nu-metal, not Iron Maiden, so the level musicianship isn't exactly legendary, so to expect as much would be foolish. What we get here is a lot of yelling, thick, distorted sounding guitars, crisp percussion and of course, a splash of industrial elements thrown into the mix. Things get started off right away with "Asthmatic". The vocals are filled with piss and vinegar and a simple riff that isn't much to brag about technicality wise, but it fits its energy level perfectly. The title track follows suit, but adds more of the industrial aspect into the fold. "Synthetic" and "New Disease" would go on to become minor hits, landing them some radio spots and having their videos shown on television. Remember, this was 2000, the peak of Nu-metal grasp on the music world. "(Can't Be) Fixed" shows a little of the progressive sound they flash on "Strictly Diesel", which slowly builds to a very catchy chorus. "Cyanide 2600" is heavy on the industrial side and is heavy to the core, while "Transparent" displays Santos' best use of his clean vocals thus far with the band.

From start to finish, "The Height of Callousness" is a Nu-metal gem with everything you could want from the genre. Its energy is matched by its intensity, while not trying to be something it isn't. Again, Nu-metal. Straight forward, simple and fun music. Spineshank stepped their game up to a new level with this release and unlike many other Nu-metal bands, they would go on to improve their sound even further in the future.

Highlights: "Synthetic" "New Disease" "Transparent" "Asthmatic"

Rating: 4.5

Spineshank: Self Destructive Pattern

I have a friend who claims this was when Spineshank sold out. That their mild success with the mainstream caused them to abandon their metalcore anger and intense energy for a more radio friendly sound. On one hand I can see his point. "Self Destructive Pattern" is nowhere near the level of raw aggression "The Height of Callousness" displayed. On the other hand, I would say that the band, much like others have done, wished to explore another sound, one that yes, was focused on being more accessible, but one that they performed admirably. In any case, I love this album. Spineshank would substitute a lot of their energy for more structure their songs, which helps them create multiple moods throughout the album. Again, this is Nu-metal, but the sound on this album is much more diverse in that, it's not all over the place trying to mere multiple genres and samples into one sound, but rather the album flows with a similar atmosphere from start to finish.

The album kicks off with "Violent Mood Swings", a song with the aggression of old and simple catchy riff that propels the chorus forward. The next song,"Slavery" has another catchy rhythm to it, one that would be used in the film "Freddy vs Jason" as would the song "Beginning of the End" as well. "Smothered", is obviously the bands most successful track, which was nominated for a Grammy. "Consumed (Obsessive Compulsive)" and "Falls apart" show off their fast paced aggressive roots, while songs like "Stillborn" show the use of their industrial elements that they have always been known for.

At the end of the day, yes this album was geared toward a greater chance of success by altering their pure Nu-metal energetic sound to one more melodic. Is that a bad thing? Depends. If you wanted another constant yeller like "The Height of Callousness" than maybe. If you enjoy hearing a band grow and develop a little more layered approach to their simplistic style, than this might be for you. Either way, I eat them both up and enjoy them each for their unique sound.

Highlights: "Slavery" "Falls Apart" "Violent Mood Swings" "Tear Me Down"

Rating: 4.5

Spineshank: Anger Denial Acceptance

When Spineshank split up after "Self Destructive Pattern" I was bummed. When Johnny Santos formed Silent Civilian, I was sure that meant the end of the band. Now, Silent Civilian's "Rebirth of the Temple" is, in my opinion, one of the greatest metalcore albums of all time. However, it was not Spineshank, even though their two releases would tide me over. Now, for years, rumors of the band's reunion had floated around the internet to no avail. But, when Silent Civilian seemingly went of Hiatus after their 2010 release, those rumors gained momentum. Eventually the news came out that Spineshank had indeed reformed and were planning on releasing a new album. It had been nine years since "Self Destructive Pattern" and twelve since "The Height of Callousness". To say this new album was highly anticipated among Spineshank fans is an understatement. After disbanding after arguably their most successful album, fans wondered what could have been during that span. In 2012, "Anger Denial Acceptance" was released and I like most Spinshank fans picked it up immediately.

It's funny and sad how the anticipation of waiting for something you expect to be great can be better than the actual product. Like a kid waiting all year for Christmas to arrive after dropping hint after hint of a particular toy, only to open up a hand knitted sweater. This long awaited album was my knitted sweater. Look, the music on this album isn't by any means a horrible mess that should be burnt to dust, but it's not Spineshank. After nine years of waiting, this sounds like the band got together a few months prior, jammed out in a basement and settled on a handful of tracks they could slap their name onto. This album fails to capture any of the sounds from either of their three previous releases. No anger, no ferocity, no progressiveness, no industrial overtones. It's more of an angry rock album than it is Nu-metal. I was hoping this wouldn't just be a rehash of Silent Civilian, but I would have taken a carbon copy of that over this album. Disappointing to say the least. There are a few songs however, that are catchy and exhibit a flicker of their days of old, but this is one of those albums that each new song has you wondering "how many more tracks are left?" Not in a "I don't want it to end way" mind you, but rather a "is this a new song or is it on repeat".

I'll be totally honest, this is a biased review, so I'm willing to hear another take on it, but it would take a lot for me to consider this anything resembling the Spineshank of old. I think the disappointment is worse than the actual music, so give it at least a listen if you're not familiar with the band. I don't know, you might like this. Fans of Spineshank, think of this as "Dumb and Dumber To" or "Anchorman 2": just stick with the tried and true sound.

Rating: 2

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

Zao: The Funeral Of God

"Funeral of God" was recommended to me by a friend of mine back in college. Although Zao had put out a number of albums prior to this release, I was unaware of their music at the time, hence the suggestion. Now, given that this is my first experience with Zao, I was expecting straight dose metalcore with heavy chugging riffs and breakdowns. To be perfectly honest, it is metalcore, but far from the sound I was expecting. Yes, the sound is metalcore based, but there's a lot more going on within this album than just another Killswitch Engage or Shadows Fall release. For one, the music is much more diverse than advertised. They slow tempo and heavy rhythm of the guitars often give off a sludgy vibe, while other songs have more upbeat, catchy melodies that hook you from the start. The vocalist reminds me very much of Soul Embraced's lead singer, with his raspy shriek that easily fits with a melodic death sound, a sound which this album often flirts with. (Side not; Soul Embraced also play a Christian faith style of music) All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with this recommendation. I haven't listened to any of Zao's other releases, but plan on trying to compare at least one or two from their earlier years. Fans of metalcore or deathcore would enjoy this album, but I think those who enjoy a more accessible melodic death (In Flames' "Reroute to remain" or Soilwork' s later works or the aforementioned, Soul Embraced) would find this interesting as well.

Highlights: "Live... From The Funeral Of God" "The Last Revelation (The Last Prophecy)" "The Last Song From Zion)

Rating: 4