Review Summary: The past shouldn't stay dead.
Believe it or not, I actually heard Relativity before I heard Emarosa with old frontman Chris Roetter. So you can imagine my pure disbelief when I picked up This Is Your Way Out. I had the horrible feeling of wishing that things were how they used to be with this band. Only being an EP, I had the satisfaction of a whole, cohesive, fantastic LP.
There are so many factors that make This Is Your Way Out a truly superb album. It is not only Roetter, either, as is so often the case with anything Craig is involved in. Emarosa functions as a band on this record, not just a vocalist with a couple backup guys creating some sounds or effects. The guitars, drums, and even keys all have their own shining spots on the album, with of course, spectacular vocal work to complete it. Not only do all the instruments have their own rights, but each one has variety and range.
The guitars change from low, deep, pre-breakdown chords to high, sharp twangs that are truly characteristic of metalcore. The keys are perfect in the sense that they don't take too much attention from everything else in the songs. Good example being the first part of Utah, when Roetter sings with clean vocals to match the keys. They are enough to add that extra element, without being distracting or sounding like a cheap ringtone (something so many post-hardcore bands struggle with). The drums are fast paced enough to keep up with Roetter's changing variety of high-pitched screams to growls, but don't fall into the problem of being thrashy.
The easiest factor to take into account when talking of variety is Roetter's voice. He not only has range when screaming, but with singing too. Roetter can belt out a high and can hit the lows too. His singing is clean, and stops just short of whiny. What can be attributed as the most unique aspect to Roetter's voice, however, are moments where the passion fuses into the words. The greatest example of this is the second half to the closing song Epoch Coda. “By your grace God, let me fly. Set me free, let me fly. God let me fly.” His voice is more than just a technical scream, it is an impassioned cry. The emotion on the album, especially Epoch Coda is the crowning jewel of the album, making it more than another metalcore listen.
The tracks are all of adequate length, with Epoch Coda being more towards five minutes, but it really doesn't feel like it. The listener can hear the record, and not feel the need to turn it off and finish it later. It is a quick, powerful, group of songs that will leave their mark.
The album is not without flaws, to be honest. Being a mere seven tracks, it probably wasn't too smart to put two instrumentals on, especially one being an opener, although it does open the record nicely. In my opinion, Breather (Track 05) was a better spot to put an instrumental, because it does exactly what the title name suggests, it is a breather for the listener. It prepares them for possibly the two best tracks, Casablanca and Epoch Coda.
Emarosa takes a simple formula, and tweaks it with an important thing: emotion. Being able to relate to the listener is the biggest part for a band to be successful; for them to be able to connect with their fans. This Is Your Way Out does so, by gripping you in the beginning, and keeping you held tightly until the very end. Now if only this weren't all in the past.
Recommended Tracks: Utah, Casablanca, Epoch Coda.
