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I always find it odd when a band finally hits “the big time” and key band members quit. Back in 1998 Kilgore, formerly known as Kilgore Smudge (and Stain, and Smudge before that), released A Search For Reason; the album took off, landing the band a slot on Ozzfest, giving them a quickly multiplying fan base. Then, after seven years, as the band was on the rise, vocalist Jay Berndt abruptly quit the band. Kilgore’s days were over.
Similarly, Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage followed a similar path. After the band hit it big with Alive Or Just Breathing, he abruptly quit the band in 2002. Killswitch Engage carried on, tapping Howard Jones of Blood Has Been Shed to take up the (inferior) vocal slot. Jesse Leach resurfaced a few years later in Seemless, a band featuring ex-members of Shadows Fall, Overcast, and another ex-Killswitch Engage alum, singing on their self-titled debut album.
The band follows a similar path tread previously by Only Living Witness, a cited influence. They combine hardcore and groovy rock riffs that often border on stoner rock. Vocally, Jesse Leach only touches on his previous metalcore style, opting here for a soaring, cleaner tone. The debut was already written when Leach joined the band; What Have We Become is the band’s first collaborative effort with Leach. This album is heavier than the last, more raw, but still groovy as hell with a hardcore sensibility; evident on tracks like “In My Blood,” “Cast No Shadow,” and “Seven.” A good dose of melody accompanies “Eyes Of A Child,” “Parody” and the album closer, “…Things Fall Apart.”
What Have We Become is another great album that just falls short of the greatness showcased on the debut. However, there’s nary a reason to not check this one out.
| Tracklist |
| 1. In My Blood |
| 2. Cast No Shadow |
| 3. Numb |
| 4. Eyes Of A Child |
| 5. The Deep Below |
| 6. Seven |
| 7. Jaded |
| 8. Maintain |
| 9. Parody |
| 10. ...Things Fall Apart |
: 49.32
| Buy other Seemless albums |
