Gwen Stacy

First off, you know a band is going to be absolutely amazing when their name is that of a character from the original Spiderman comic books. This Melodic Hardcore band has toured with acts such as The Devil Wears Prada, Inhale/Exhale, Still Remains, and The Human Abstract. However, since then, the band’s line-up has changed quite dramatically, but I won’t bore you guys with those details… the music is what matters!

To begin, the album right off the bat gets a “hats off” from me just because of the album cover; a woman trapped in a casket, buried alive, scratching to get out. A pretty dark, but tantalizing image if I don’t say. There is also an alternate cover that was not officially released for sale, showing the legs of a man, and he’s holding a shovel, and standing on top of a pile of dirt. Hmm… Sound familiar?

The first track, “The Path to Certainty” is pretty fuckin’ good. It’s exactly what I was hoping it would be; soothing during the verse and chorus, and utterly brutal during the breakdown. The clean vocals accompanied with screams are a bit overdone, but it doesn’t make it any less entertaining.

“Gone Fishing. See You In A Year” kicks off with a breakdown that’s raring to go. They even tossed in some pinch harmonics that made my hair stand on end. I liked how the track bounced back and forth between heavy and quiet; it takes great musicianship to pull it off without the parts sounding too distant from each other.

Overall the album has its ups and downs, but most records are going to have that. If you want something heavy, with a bit of moderation, aim for this one.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. The Path to Certainty
02. I Was Born With Two First Names
03. Challengers Pts. 2
04. If We Live Right, We Can’t Die Wrong
05. What Will Happen If I Hit Enter
06. The Fear In Your Eyes
07. Playing God Is Playing For Keeps
08. Falling From The Fence
09. Sleeping In The Train Yard
10. Gone Fishing. See You In A Year
11. Paved Gold With Good Intentions
12. I’ll Splatter You Like Jackson Pollock

Run Time: 46:26