Review Summary: Breakdowns, breakdowns, breakdowns.
Years Since The Storm are a small, somewhat underground, deathcore band from the United States. Their first release, Left Floating In The Sea, is a great album. Filled with gang vocals, sweeps, pounding drumming, and crazy vocals, Left Floating In The Sea will blow you away, even if the maturity level is quite low.
Left Floating In The Sea starts off with a breakdown. The intro track, Hug A Train, is just a breakdown. It's nothing special, but it introduces you to what the album is. A group of breakdowns, but good ones, I might add. The second track, Your Daughter's A Whore, is definitely the most immature track on the album. But it's fun in it's own childish way. Featuring chants halfway in shouting "your daughter is such a whore!" over and over and the breakdown at the end with the vocalist growling "you will not *** anymore!" (somewhat reminiscent of Whitechapel's Vicer Exiser), this song is one of the best on the album. The Worst Things Always Happen A Mile Away From Home is another standout track. It's seven minutes long, but it's not seven minutes of boredom at all. It's a great track.
The guitar work is very simple in some places, most places actually, resorting to the "chug chug squeal chug" kind of playing but in some places it's very intricate and their guitarist produces nice sweeps and technical riffs. The drumming is standard deathcore drumming, nothing really special there. The bass is for the most part, inaudible. This seems to be the case in most hardcore albums these days and it's really a damn shame as the bass can add a nice feel to the tone or "beef" of the album. Vocally, this album is sweet. Their vocalist (who will eventually get ripped on by various prog fanboys who love to rip on deathcore) is actually very good. Ranging from a deep growl to a mid-range low to a high-pitched high, his vocal range is spectacular. However, instrumentally and vocally, this album is nothing compared to the single Still Waters and their upcoming EP To The Clouds. If you really want to hear these guys rip and shred (for lack of better terms), check out those songs.
While this album is far from being for everyone, check it out and see what you think. Or maybe wait until To The Clouds is released and check out that and then this.
Recommended Tracks:
Your Daughter's A Whore, The Worst Things Always Happen A Mile Away From Home, Tastes Like Ghetto Heaven