This album is both surprising and infuriating. Jeremiah Ruff has vocals that almost save this album; they fit this type of whining metalcore perfectly (the best 200 seconds on the album is probably the beginning of "Glasskiss”...how touching). He has a clean singing voice that lies between hardcore and metal (check out “Niche”) that just works while the screaming never went over the top like I thought it would: it was actually more of a gruff yelling a la Phil Labonte. But the instrumental core doesn't fare so well. The guys can play, but they just choose a style that is so overdone while not doing anything to differentiate themselves. There's melody. There's overdubbed choruses about loss and pain. There's an emotive acoustic guitar on “My Future Actress” for that heavy/light contrast. There's those damn breakdowns on “Niche.” There's even some hand clapping on“Etched!” The band formed in 2004, so it is a product of the burgeoning metalcore scene but eventually bands have to do something different instead of doing the same thing as good as everyone else. If someone finds themselves looking for something a little heavier than what's typically on the radio while still having a sense of melody and (enough) clean singing, definitely check these guys out, for this is also a well produced, energetic album. But for those of us that have already tired of the Killswitch Engages and As I Lay Dyings of the metal world, this band offers little but overdone melodies funneled through talent stuck in a creative rut.

When some buddies and I were coming back from sledding one night, my friend looked back at the hill we had been sliding down and said “That cow has been milked.” Listening to this, I can't help but think the same thing.

written by Kevin Penner

Playing time: 54.05