Review Summary: One of the most pleasant surprises of the year.
The Relapse Symphony, a post hardcore suit out of the nation's capital come from humble beginnings. They've spent the last year or so releasing very raw material while having members call it quits, citing inner-band friction as their reasoning. The only members of this group, as it exists now, are vocalist Bret Von Dehl, guitarist Ray Miller and bassist JC Charles. And with this record being my first real exposure to them, aside from seeing them perform at Warped Tour, I like what I see.
Von Dehl has a pretty free flowing voice. Behind catchy riffs and a fast paced flurry of drums, he tracks ordinary themes and makes them infectious. Tracks like "Die Alone" show off just how in sync this band can be and the lyrics have a bit more to sink their teeth into than meets the eye. Then you have tracks like "A Perfect Lie" and Von Dehl incorporates screamed vocals that don't feel nearly as abrasive as their contemporaries.
"Tear Me Down" is easily the most likeable track on this record. It's up-tempo rhythmic identity, coupled with a powerful solo from Miller brings a bit of a serious and even angry state of mind to the table. What's more is that Von Dehl doesn't try to reach for the stars with his clean vocals either. He allows his vocals to gracefully coincide with the instrumentation, while preventing them from becoming so easily inept and pulling out any bells or whistles.
What's ironic is even when The Relapse Symphony doesn't try to woo the listener with over the top material, they do in fact have some tricks up their sleeve. This album's eponymous track has a guitar riff structure that feels a bit atmospheric and conceptually, it's very competent. Nothing too flashy or even contrived. Miller shows to be a good guitarist, and brings a freshness with his riffs.
"Dirty Little Tricks" opens with Miller chugging the guitar to the tune of Von Dehl's established blueprint (75% clean, 25% unclean) and the song's musical structure fits the song title quite appropriately. Then of course, we have bassist JC Charles, who is an audible bassist who doesn't let his work get lost in all the commotion.
One of the consistent highlights of this album is Miller's work on guitar, and Von Dehl's clean vocals, mixed in with catchy and memorable songs that don't fade into obscurity, but instead, leave an opposing challenge to their contemporaries. It's evident their stint on Warped Tour this summer was just what the doctor ordered, and their sound has built to the point where they will soon be a lap ahead and then some of their peers.
