Review Summary: Another great album from a great band
Well here it is, Botch's last album before departing. And I will say it is sad considering this was one of the best and most influential metalcore bands out there, but at least they ended their career with a bang. While this album isn't quit as good as "We Are the Romans," it is right up there with it. The album itself is full of energy, and the riffs are heavy and well put together. The album has some really great moments that you would expect from a band like Botch.Â*
One of my main problems with the album is the overall length of the EP containing only 6 songs, Â* one of which is only 14 seconds long. Overall this album clocks in at about 21 minutes. But overall it doesn't take away to much from the album, considering it is very consistent and well structured. So I am going to do a track by track review of each of the 6 songs...
Spaim- Nothing to special about this song, it's only 14 seconds and mainly consists of guitar effects. It's a decent intro, I can't really give it a rating.
Japam- Now, here is where things get a bit more interesting. This song runs. For about 3 minutes so it isn't very lengthy either, but it is a great song. The song itself has many catchy riffs and cool guitar effects. His vocals have seemed to improve a bit over the last album. All in all a great song, and one of my favorites on the album. 5/5
Framce- In my opinion this song isn't quite as good as the last, but still pretty awesome. The beginning guitar riff repeats itself until about a minute in, and it does get a little repetitive. After that, things pick up and the riffs become more detailed and structured and make the song more memorable overall. Â*4.5/5
Vietmam- This contains one of the "catchier" riffs on the album, and this song has kind of a dark sound to it. Also the breakdown is nicely done. Not one of my favorites on the album, but a good song nonetheless. 4/5
Afghamistam- By far my favorite song on this album. After the past 3 tracks of heavy riffs and screamed vocals, comes this masterpiece, and it is soft and has no screaming at all. This really isn't a song I would expect from a band like Botch, and thats what makes it so good. It's a beautiful song, and it's definitely up there as one of their better tracks. The vocals are beautiful and the piano outro is absolutely amazing and gives the song a more "epic" feel. 10/5
Micaragua- The outro of the last song leads into this one, and I will say this isn't a bad song but it's not one of the better tracks on this album. The first minute or so is a guitar noise build-up and then the drums kick in and then after another minute or so the vocals come in . This is one of the heavier songs on the album and the guitar effects are pretty cool, but the intro goes on for a little too long, especially considering this song is only 4 minutes long. Â*3.5/5
So that basically wraps it up, my only real complaint with this album is the length, but it is an EP. And whileÂ*this album isn't a metal classic like "We Are the Romans," it is still a great album in Botch's discography and a good way to end their career. It hard to believe that's it's been over 10 years since this albums release. That being said, I still hope and pray that one day this band will get back together and release another incredible album.
Overall: 4.5/5
