Review Summary: A mix of aggression and atmosphere leads to a brilliant album, but it still doesn’t quite top ‘The Autumn Effect’.
Ever since magnum-opus and genre-defining ‘The Autumn Effect’, 10 Years haven’t been able to find the balance between energy and subtlety. Although ‘Minus The Machine’ came close, they were yet to return to such a great height. With ‘From Birth To Burial’, 10 Years hopes to reignite the flame they once had, incorporating more atmosphere, along with more aggression, into their music. Is it a rip-off of ‘The Autumn Effect’, or have the three-piece successfully created a true return to the top?
Throughout the forty-minute runtime, 10 Years find themselves embracing the atmosphere present on songs from the past (“…And All The Other Colours”, “The Autumn Effect”), with a large amount of the albums 11 songs involving an almost eerie section, typically encompassing violins and pianos, with vocalist Jesse Hasek singing over the top. The singer, although having been the vocalist for almost thirteen years, has not lost any of the grit or melody over that time. Even from opener “From Birth To Burial”, he showcases his smooth vocal work, creating an almost relaxing experience. However, do not be fooled. The aggression 10 Years are known for are still present. “Triggers And Tripwires” showcases this well, with Jesse screaming over the top of the typical crunchy guitar work from bandmates Ryan Johnson and Brian Vodinh. An aggressive song when compared to the rest of the album, “Triggers And Tripwires” is both catchy and destructive.
Drum and guitar work are reliable and appealing as always, and meld well together with the increase of melody present in the album. “Luna” is a song full of changes in tempo, starting off as a mid-paced track, full with Jesse’s haunting vocals. About halfway through, the song quickly picks up the pace, before being slowed down again to finish out the song. Follow-up “Crimson Kiss” changes the pace quickly, starting with a violent intro before becoming the typical heavy-melodic 10 Years songs they are loved for. Perhaps the best song on the album, ‘Survivors?’, however, strays away from the rest of the album in the sense that it is full of emotion and beauty. With a slow guitar intro, the song moulds into a track full of soaring melody, attractive guitar and bass work, and a more restrained drum performance, all cumulating to be possibly one of the best 10 Years songs to date.
Despite this, the album does falter from time to time. Closer “Moisture Residue”, unlike the beautiful closing track “…And All The Other Colours” from ‘Minus The Machine’, seems almost unneeded. The track, consisting of a large emphasis on violins and Jesse’s vocals, does little to satisfy the listener’s thirst, the song at times dragging on, leaving those listening expecting the song to become something, but ultimately being left with nothing. Furthermore, “Miscellanea” relies too much on the bass line and doesn’t truly become anything more than a Deftones B-side, consisting of nothing memorable, being forgotten quickly.
Regardless of these annoyances, 10 Years have found themselves back on top. If ‘Minus The Machine’ was a return to form, then ‘From Birth To Burial’ is a return to the top. Full of melody, atmosphere and aggression, the band has returned to former glory. So to answer the question posed earlier on: yea, they have created a true return to form. But since ‘The Autumn Effect’ was created, 10 Years will struggle to reach such monumental heights.
