After a blasting introduction with the industrial-sounding “LHC”, the following ten songs blend into each other to create a kind of post-hardcore-meets-progressive metal mini opera. It is not that the band has said it is supposed to be, but there is no other way to justify the sameness to the overall tracks than to assume the band had a concept behind it all. The tracks appear like a variation or continuation of another, and you will find yourself surprised to realize than instead of hearing one track you have just listened to three of them, or what you thought was the beginning of the next track it is actually a bridge in the song. None of this is a problem, because
Our Last Days On Earth can be easily listened to in one sitting, despite its 45+ minutes.
The album is very intense, but the constant shift in dynamics, alternating between brutal and calm passages, with the use of short ambient or piano sections, gives the listener the much needed breathing room for keeping up with the album. The dramatic feel is accentuated with the clever interaction between screamed and clean vocals, contrasting very effectively pain and anger. Musically, you probably have heard it all before, but Between The Screams manage to create an LP that can be heard on its own, without caring too much about its originality.
One thing needs to be said about the production. I cannot remember when was the last time I heard an album this heavy that did not destroy my ears. The production values are average, but the relatively quiet, laid-back mix prevents you from getting
tired of the overall heaviness, really adding to the enjoyment of the music. Unfortunately,
Our Last Days On Earth is the band’s first and only album, since they called it quits this year. This may not be a tragedy, but I would have gladly checked out a follow-up.
3.2 / 5
Between The Screams were:
Adam Ralph - Vocals
Daniel Waterhouse - Guitar
Chris Froment - Electronics
Terry Blake - Bass
Chris Horton - Drums
