For the Fallen Dreams -- Great Melodic Hardcore

I realize that it's already 2010 and that it would probably be wise to stick to 2010 releases but I happened to stumble on this the other day and really felt the need to write about it. Recently signed to Rise Records in 2007, For the Fallen Dreams has already released two albums and done a considerable amount of touring. Their second album Relentless, sparked my interest because of its similarity to some of my favorite melodic hardcore acts. I do enjoy some heavy chugging from time to time, but with the slew of every god damn hardcore band just jam-packing their albums with it, it just gets old and uninteresting.

Anyway, FTFD caught my attention after listening to their stuff on their myspace because they sound A LOT like old Bury Your Dead (pre-It's Nothing Personal) and If Hope Dies (Life In Ruin, basically one of the best melodic hardcore/metalcore albums I own, it's a shame they threw in the towel). There may be some sections of those heavy chugs and slow generic drum breakdowns, but they're mostly scattered and not drawn out for more than 30 seconds. Their songs are super atmospheric with a continuous array of alternating guitar chugging with energetic guitar licks careening over the surface of everything. Sometimes they even throw in some clean vocals, but mostly stick with the gutteral growling. Songs like "The Call of Perceptions", "A Plethora Of", "Defiance", and "The Pain Loss" are easily their strongest tracks as they combine passionate riffing and severe anger, with the minimum amount of bland chugging and breakdowns. I originally didn't like "Nightmare", but after a few listens it appeared to be a mix of material from Bury Your Dead's Cover Your Tracks and Still Remains' The Serpent because there are gutteral growls mixed with clean singing and an almost electronic feel to the overlapping chorus.

I like the sound. It feels energetic. I like when bands are able to incorporate energy into songs that might otherwise be considered dead and lifeless. And I don't me the type of energy they portray on stage, I'd expect that from any band, but more of an energizing feel that gets you on your feet and makes you physically move to the music. FOFD accomplishes this very well.

Focus Tracks:
Nightmare, The Call of Perceptions, A Plethora Of, Defiance

War of Ages: Melodic Metalcore Masterpiece

War of Ages seemed to start as a very harsh, yet tight Christian metalcore act in 2002. Not that the Christian part necessarily matters because honestly, without reading the lyrics I don't think it's possible to tell. Anyway, every release they've had (I believe the latest is technically their fourth album because their debut was re-released on Facedown records) has become more technical and more melodic, which is a damn good thing. I can't say how annoying it is when metalcore is looked down upon for being too repetitive because all of the bands sound the same. I got my hands on their newest album, Arise and Conquer, and all I can say is, War of Ages brings fresh meat to the table to be fully and heartily enjoyed by open-minded metal fans.

Arise and Conquer is like a non-stop battle of good against evil told through dueling guitars, thundering drums, and a fierce vocalist. This album gives War of Age's band name true meaning. The album really grabbed me as soon as I began to listen, which is always great because no one likes to force themselves to listen to something boring. The album is upbeat and head-bangable, the rhythm isn't uncontrollable and fast so you loose your mind trying to keep up. The thundering and pummeling drumming fuses nicely with the slower yet more melodic and technical guitars so I could really listen to the layers that each song had. Songs like, "Generational Curse" and "Salvation" really illustrate the band showcasing their knowledge of how great melodic metal can be fused with the fury of metalcore to make an amazingly unique sound. And even though this is metalcore, it has enough variety to keep anyone interested to hear more.

Well it looks like War of Ages has it again, they've constructed a well mixed album that blends awesome guitar harmonizing, a vicious vocal performance, perfectly clean melodies, and a sick album cover to top it all off. Compared to Pride of the Wicked, their previous release, I would say that War of Ages has matured in terms of song complexity and branching away from the traditional, old, re-hashed metalcore scene, and formed into a band who has finally found their own sound.

Focus Tracks:
Generational Curse, When Faith Turns to Ashes, Salvation, Sleep of Prisoners, Yet Another Fallen Eve, The Awakening