Otherwise – “Peace At All Costs” [Album Review]

One thing American bands are good at is the mainstream hard rock/metal thing, and Las Vegas quintet Otherwise are no exception to the rule. As they have proved already, they can hold their own alongside a list of groups who are capable of writing a stompin’ rock song that is edgy enough for those who like a bit of fist-pounding metal, but hooky enough for those who can expose the band to an audience much wider than your average metal fan.

Acts I’m talking about include the likes of Stone Sour, Papa Roach, Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, Alter Bridge… you get the picture because, throughout the duration of Peace At All Costs, there are many moments where you think “that bit sounds like…” or “those vocals sound like…” – not that I’m accusing Otherwise of aping their influences, but if you’re a fan of those kind of bands then Peace At All Costs will certainly have enough to prick your interest.

The album is a polished, pristine affair from the big rocking stompers like opener “Love And War” to the slower, almost ballad-like tracks such as “Never Say” and “Meet Me In The Dark,” where the band sound like Canadian rock heavyweights Nickelback. Basically, Peace At All Costs has all the components to make it both a commercial success and one that the rock fraternity take to their hearts.

Where Peace At All Costs will succeed is that, for every edgy rocker like “The Other Side Of Truth” or the frantic “For The Fallen Ones,” there are just enough slower “arena-filling” numbers like “Meet Me In The Dark” to balance things out, and with frontman Andrew Patrick showing his vocal range can smash out both style with consummate ease, Otherwise look and sound like the complete package.

Track Listing:

01. IV
02. Love & War
03. Darker Side Of The Moon
04. Demon Fighter
05. Wake Up (Coming For The Throne)
06. Never Say
07. The Other Side Of Truth
08. All The Pretty Things
09. Walk Away
10. For The Fallen Ones
11. Fate Is Your Enemy
12. V
13. Meet Me In The Dark
14. Man On Fire

Run Time: 45:10
Release Date: September 16, 2014

Check out the song “Darker Side Of The Moon”.