Solemn Vow

After a brief spoken word intro, a wall of grinding guitars and drums immediately assaults the listener. Killer riffs abound as the band launches into the opening track “The Sound Of Courage”. Lyrically they are part of a growing trend in the ‘extreme’ metal genre, writing songs that take on spiritual and religious themes.

The band’s message is evident in tunes such as “Cheer Up Charlie Give Me A Smile” where vocalist Jeff Perry growls, “This is our cry/This is our passion/I will look up into the sky and see your face is smiling down/Down on me from heaven/You are the purpose of my life and I will give you everything inside/To be with you forever.” Do not let the message fool you or put you off because religious as these guys might be they crank out some super tight, muscular Deathcore that does not come off preachy in the slightest bit. In fact, if you do not look at the attached lyric sheet you might never even realize it.

The first track, “Cheer Up Charlie Give Me A Smile,” lays the groundwork for the rest of CD with a brutal ferocity. The American Dream is unrelenting in its attack and for a full 45 minutes, the listener is pummeled by a tidal wave of sound and will find they are unable to gain their composure or take a breath until the record concludes. Fans of this genre of music will not be disappointed, these guys are serious about what they do and it shows, especially on tracks such as “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are” and my personal favorite the more melodic “Somebody Has Poisoned The Waterhole.”

“Our Daydreams Darken Into Nightmares,” is a very cool musical interlude of sorts that guitarist Jeff Perry describes as, “a kind of musical metaphor of a good dream gone bad. It starts off very soft and progresses into a kind of piano ballad.” Overall, this is a good record and metal fans should really dig this release.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. The Gates Of Hell Never Stood A Chance
02. The Sound Of Courage
03. Cheer Up Charlie And Give Me A Smile
04. Legalism: The Fall Of Man
05. Come Out, Come Out. Wherever You Are
06. Our Daydreams Darken Into Nightmares
07. Somebody’s Poisoned The Waterhole
08. You’re Killing Me Smalls
09. Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain
10. Wake Up Nemo, How Many Times Do I Have To Call You
11. Even The Darkest Night Brings Hope Of A New Day

Run Time: 45:37