ALL THAT REMAINS - review added 18th October 2008
Album Review: Overcome (2008)
For fans of: metalcore... and way-too-heavy ballads
Well, this is something of a sneaky one. I came to this record expecting a real mass of heavy chugging riffs, mega-bpm drums and shouty screamy vocals. All That Remains' last record 'The Fall Of Ideals' was something of a lairy beast, with songs like 'The Weak Willed' blowing speaker stacks with gay abandon. The album had a slightly problematic stop-start feel to the rhythm section, but 'This Calling' rates as one of the best metal songs of the last few years.
'Overcome' doesn't just continue from where the previous album finished. The band have taken a step back, worked out what they do best and freely flogged their resulting strong points.
Philip Labonte is amongst the elite of metal singers, having both the devil-like scream of a grizzly bear with toothache and the smooth vocals of a theatrical star. He can flick between the two styles at will, and often sounds like a moderately quieter version of Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. There is a good deal more singing on this album than previous which fits in perfectly with the updated sound. Where the previous album was brutal with snippets of beauty, 'Overcome' is all about the melody. In reality the album is no less heavy but there is a greater depth to the sound, with whirling orchestral guitar solos and slower thoughtful interludes.
Whereas the last album would stroll straight up to you and beat you round the head with a baseball bat, this one slips you an overdose of happy drugs. The end result is still the same but it's a much nicer way of getting there.
The only complaints with the album are the length - at around 40 minutes it's over way too soon - and the fact there are no real standout songs. Just about every song is great, but there's nothing to truly compare with 'This Calling', and that's a shame.
Check out... That man's voice. Maybe not quite up there with Howard Jones, but not that far off.
Track List:
1. Before The Damned
2. Two Weeks
3. Undone
4. Forever In Your Hands
5. Chiron
6. Days Without
7. Song For The Hopeless
8. Do Not Obey
9. Relinquish
10. Overcome
11. Believe In Nothing
Label: Prosthetic Records
Band websites: All That Remains , MySpace
