Review Summary: Who says 'Sophomore Albums' can't be the big break through for a band? Funeral For a Friend and Silverstein eat your heart out...
LoveHateHero is:
Myke Russell - Guitar
Scot Gee - Drums
Pierrick Berube - Vocals
Paris Bosserman - Bass
Kevin Gruft - Guitar
Original Release Date: February 20, 2007
Label as produced: Ferret Records
Before I start getting into this review I’d like to apologize to Mike (ToWhatEnd) but I couldn’t help myself from writing this and a big thank you for being able to make this review possible. Love as always…
When LoveHateHero first signed to ferret records I was so sure that they were a replacement to there departing artists at the time, From Autumn to Ashes and a Static Lullaby. If the name is striking enough to me I will sample the music even if it’s like a techno band, death metal band. LoveHateHero the name, sounded fresh and inviting from every other cliché out there at the time. I listened to the single on the album “Just Breathe” and really feeling like this band was just plain and boring. They dissolved just like any other band to my mind and if it wasn’t for ToWhatEnd letting me sample the new demo’s a few months back I wouldn’t of had drawn interest to there sophomore release “White Lies”. I never ended up buying “Just Breathe” because I wasn’t sold over the fact that this band wasn’t a copycat or a replacement band on a major label but I should of thought more highly of Ferret since they know how to deal.
The sophomore release of LoveHateHero proves to the listener that you could be as heavy as crushing with melody instead of having constant brash screaming.
White Lies
The album kicks off with this sexual guitar scale repeated until the vocals phase in. The riff is something nice that is repeated throughout “Goodbye My Love” and I make such a big deal of it because it’s fast, and winding to the attention span of the listener. It isn’t what you often see in a post-hardcore genre and if that’s not the only thing that might blow your mind the solo at the end of this song is just one word, disgusting. The solo is something that feels like a heavy metal would be able to pull off but to have something so shred like in this genre feels unheard of. Yeah bands are always trying to pull off solo’s and I have a feeling that they are coming back but this one is really a special treat to the listener. Look for this to be a common theme throughout the album. “I'll Make It To Brigades” starts off with a heavy crunch on the guitars and slides down creating this see saw feeling to your ears. This song in almost every element reminds me of a band called Chasing Victory that I wrote a review of a few months back. The vocals are layered nicely and sound like they are appropiate for a pop-punk band with the occasional screaming in between verses and before choruses. The guitar and musicianship in this song feels more suited for the genre but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing because the execution is all here. The song is constructed with it’s crescendos in vocal climaxing and builds up in the interlude with a soft sung part but then kicks back off in it’s usual high strung pace that’s held out.
“Red Dress” starts off soft with a piano part but slowly phases into a nice bright distorted guitar tone that follows in the steps of where the piano leaves off. The vocals kick off in a growling fashion and then transitions to the typical singing. Most of these bands are the direct opposite screaming and using singing to the choruses and pre choruses but this band is directly opposite in almost a climatic scheme of vocals. “Red Dress” is one of there songs on there myspace player so it’s obviously meant to show out for the new listener and it’s one of the more different sounding songs on the album. The chorus is catchy, and intwining and all of the song construction fits in with each other like puzzle pieces. Recommended.
“You Got Served” sounds like a song that’s fresh out of a Static Lullaby or Funeral For a Friend. It’s got a pop-punk like tempo and really brings out a lot of elements shown in the band of the previous songs. The guitar work feels equivalent to “Thrice in there Artist In The Ambulance” days. Once again a guitar solo steals all of the words I have for another song. These solos feel fitting to a heavy metal/thrash metal genre not in simple minded Post-Hardcore. It kind of blew my mind hearing so many metal influences in a band of this stature and most importantly it feels like a breathe of fresh air instead of pumping out the cliché double bass breakdowns. “Amity” is another song on the myspace player of these guys website and feels like a more poppy, catchy song which isn’t bad but it isn’t flexing muscle to technicality. A lot of people will dig this song just for the chorus which feels appropiate out of the pop-punk field. The singing is feasible to fit in and the vocalist continues to have a nice tone throughout the album but often feels like he stretches his notes out for an over exaggeration amount of time. The guitar solo in this song doesn’t feel up to par with the other ones but is none the less a nice touch.
“Of Sound And Fury” comes out with a Silverstein like vibe. There are A TON of guitar hooks and variations to one main riff in this song and it’s almost impossible not to be able to appreciate them unless you don’t play guitar? The song feels very pop-punky and some songs do feel such a way in this album which may not appease to all of the kids who are looking for a balls out, post-hardcore band. If you can do yourself a favor and swallow your pride you may be able to at least respect a band for being somewhat different in this field. “Running With Scissors” which is also a song that I recently reviewed by a band called Calico System recently starts off with the throaty screams and metalcore like stance. It continues to confuse the listen in what genre LoveHateHero wants to be but it also selects a great diversity of influences as the song quickly falls into a melodic singing chorus which is as catchy as every other chorus on this album. The same riff that’s shown in the first verse is repeated in the 2nd and those pinched harmonics have never sounded so nice. It’s almost like the band teases you with its technicality in musicianship but falls back with mainstream plain chorus to entice everyone in. Leaves me muttering the words of another Ferret signed band… Misery Signals.
“Move On” is a slower ballad type of a song that stands out for being on a slower pace then the others. The song is obviously focused on melodic singing that is featured in a beautiful style by Pierrick. The song isn’t exactly a stand out except the fact that it’s slower paced and shows more diversity to the band. “To the End” reassures that nice metal galloping riffing and once again is a technicality sexual licking. The lyrics feel very pop-punky yet the music is heavily metal influenced. The title track “White Lies” continues with it’s metal style of guitar and the riffs are nothing short than stellar. The vocals by the second to last track could start wearing down on people who aren’t having an ear for them already. “She Puts the Ho in Homewrecker” is another stand out track in my mind because it has a lot of screaming in it compared to the other tracks and just feels heavier. It doesn’t stop a melodic chorus but still it feels like that He Is Legend track that just breaks down your walls.
NoHateHero
This band felt like it took an entirely different structure this time around. “White Lies” is a combination of pop-sensibility and stylistic toughness that results in an entirely memorable album, with songs you will find in your head for days and nights to come. The guitar work is unprecedented here in a genre that feels like more of the same
The leads take the band to a new technical level that’s both exciting and inspiring. I gripe of the vocals because it isn’t my style and it’ll most likely be a hit or miss for many but I wouldn’t let it sink the band down all the way.
The band seems to be a more outfitted version of Funeral For a Friend and if definitely you like that, you should check out this band. I feel like I already made all the references in the world and if the recommendations I made tickle your pickle then definitely check out this album because it’ll probably be right up your alley.
Pros:
+ Catchiness
+ Guitar Solos
+ Diversity of Songs
Cons:
- Vocals will be a hit or miss
- Mixing of Genres may not appeal to some listeners
