This is the second full length album by the Cologne-based melodic Hardcore band 'Days in Grief'. Compared to their debut 'Portrait of Beauty', this marks a really good progression for the band.
Some general impressions:
The musical work is on a high level, just as on the previous album. A bit higher maybe, as the bass lines got a bit more complex on some songs, and the band uses more interesting guitar leads. Overall the musical work is one very tight package, that could not leave me wishing for more.
A very interesting change is that lead singer Ahrens shares some melodic parts with guitarist Blaschke. Ahrens is present with a rather typical screaming/shouting voice, and leaves the melodic hook-lines on some songs for the guitarist. Sounds very interesting, and the multi voice parts and melodies create a much more flowing album than 'Portrait of Beauty'.
From the track list one gets the idea behind the lyrics pretty fast. More than previous the band displays political inspired lyrics and topics in their songs. But also lyrics about life and lifestyle are present. So to say, the 'old-school' hardcore topics. Articulated in a good, intelligent way IMO. Nice to listen to, and so far I have not found a line that made me cringe. :) Overall the touch got a bit darker. Some real great moshers on this album.
What was good:
Like I already mentioned, this album has a good flow, and is overall a bit better than Portrait of Beauty. The production is on the same level with all songs (that was a problem with the previous record). Where Portrait of Beauty had a lot of songs that were moshable and went at a great pace, this album takes that a step further. Tracks like 'Economic Tyranny' go from 0 to 100 in 2 seconds, while still providing a great melodic Chorus. If I had to compare it to songs by other bands, the best bet would be Thrice on 'The Illusion of Safety'. The energy of the songs is high, from first to last song.
And even though you can still hear the influences of bands like Thrice and BoySetsFire, Days in Grief got more distinguishable to the two 'big brothers'. The new melodic vocals do a lot for that.
What was good:
I can not say that I recognized anything so far that really could have been better. The vocals and musical work overall improved, and the band used some new ways to approach song structures and to set accents.
Maybe a thing that would be nice for the future would be a more independent status, means no direct comparision to Thrice on hearing. Though that is not bad (as I absolutely love Thrice), and the band can compete to a good extend.
Summary:
One thing is sure for me after listening to this album: currently 'Days in grief' is the best Melodic Hardcore band from Germany I know. On the international scale There is still the hard (and somewhat currently unavoidable) competition with Thrice and similar bands. But I think 'Days in Grief' are winning some ground with this album, and that without a doubt rightly.
Here's all one could want from a Melodic Hardcore band: good guitar leads, moshable songs combined with great melody, and a lot of energy. If you liked Thrice's 'Illusion of Safety', you should check this out. Even more than the previous album 'Portrait of Beauty'.
My favorites: Political Correctness, Economic Tyranny, In the Margin
Final rating: 3.5-4/5 (unbiased) / 4.5 (biased)/5
