Review Summary: Misery Escape includes almost everything a metalcore fan would hope for with great singing and a strong balance between melodic and brutal.
I must admit there were some serious doubts as to whether The Sorrow would deliver yet another solid metalcore release. As you can see from the score those doubts were misplaced and the Austrian quartet has given us yet another quality CD.
The guys didn’t waste any time getting back in the studio as their self-titled album only came out in 2010 and bears many similarities to that one, so sorry any breakdown lovers but you’ll have to go back to their earlier material for that.
Having said that the opening track ‘Retracing memories’ wouldn’t be out of place on the second LP, it’s quite an introduction with Matthias’s vocals sounding more harsh and polished than ever. It seems the lads have found the perfect balance between heavy and melodic, the guitar work has always been something I have admired about The Sorrow and they have only got better in time.
Breakdowns and especially screaming are very much present as heard in the first and one of my favourite songs off the album. The Sorrow haven’t forgotten about the die-hard fans like myself but they’re certainly doing the right thing and trying to reach a wider audience, which is why some of the songs (roughly half) are more radio-friendly.
That doesn’t mean they will be appearing on your local station, their not that soft but I do hope singles such as ‘Burial Bridge’ get played on music channels more.
What makes this album great is the sheer quality of playing going on, Misery Escape contains some of the best songs the band have ever written check out ‘A thin red line’ if you don’t believe me. The amount of emotion and emphasis on lyrics makes songs like this instantly re-playable.
Now we come to the issues with the album and I’m happy to say there aren’t many, it’s obvious that each member is very confident with their part and it really shows on this album especially the clean vocals which you’d struggle to find better in similar bands.
What stops this album from getting a truly excellent rating for me is the softer songs, a particular one that I even find borders or cringe worthy is the last song, there’s something about it mainly the chorus that sounds clichéd and I feel the band held back because they could of gone out with more style. Also the drummer who I’ve always admired takes a slight backseat in this release he’s not bad by any means but I suppose the guitars are thicker and more complex, so for production reasons you don’t notice him as much.
Speaking of production the name doesn’t ring a bell but he’s done a grand job on this album it’s very clean and loud, again definitely with the vocals.
This doesn’t require much of a conclusion if you enjoy metalcore in general but with a bit more singing you’ll love this. If like me you also thought the new ‘All that remains’ album was complete *** and want to hear metal done right then check these guys out because they deserve more credit than they get.
