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The newly resurrected and refounded Combat Records, once home to the mighty Death, Megadeth, and no, not Gigadeath (haha!), but an early partner with Earache Records in terms of U.S. distribution, is back in action and their second release is by the Austin, TX based band At All Cost. This band is Metalcore through and through, but they incorporate a lot of outside influences -- some that are completely foreign to Metal. I'm talkin' more pop sensibility than Avenged Sevenfold without the tongue planted firmly in cheek.
The official press release offers the following: "Fusing the intensity of metal, the energy of rock and roll and the spirit of experimentation, At All Cost finds themselves constantly pushing the boundaries of the saturated metal/hardcore genre. While others bands are triggered by blast beats and breakdowns, At All Cost bring classical guitars, violins, vocoder and synth effects to one of the most danceable records this genre will encounter... literally." The album sticker misleads: "If you like Killswitch Engage, Darkest Hour and Unearth buy this album now!"
That said, in the first song alone there is a very dance-pop sensibility coupled with that overall Avenged Sevenfold vibe of Hardcore vocals accompanied by a saccharine sing-song voice that almost whines. Here, though, the sing-song voice is computer manipulated to sound like a Cher remix. If you think this is an anomaly, it isn't as this vocal exercise is repeated throughout the album. While it is original, particularly for Metal, that does not mean that it is good. Sometimes different means bad. The "traditional" Metalcore elements are done well, but that's about it.
If Metal is saturated, call me a sponge. I'll continue to soak up what I know and love. At All Cost is too far out there, though I don't wish them ill in this era of the genre mash-up. I'm not saying At All Cost is without merit, it's just that I can imagine their audience being severely limited to Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, and new Dillinger Escape Plan fans. You have been warned. [Note: "Noches Desesperadas" translates to "Desperate Nights" and was formerly/originally entitled "Consider That."]
The instrumental "It Burns Black" is pretty cool, even with the 80s sounding Casio keyboard sound, because the quasi-surf/Twins Peak guitar sound dominates the slow, bluesy music. The violin is an interesting accompaniment to a very The Cure sounding bass line. Change-up pitches abound on the album closer, "What is Left to Inspire?" including Spanish guitar and violin. See? It's not all bad. See? It's not all bad.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Death To Distraction |
| 2. The Formula |
| 3. Human Now |
| 4. Polish The Nightmare |
| 5. Right Now |
| 6. Fabricated |
| 7. Noches Desesperadas |
| 8. The Irony |
| 9. This Pen |
| 10. The Hook |
| 11. It Burns Black |
| 12. The Return |
| 13. What Is Left To Inspire? |
: 46.00
| Buy other At All Cost albums |
