Review Summary: It has a voice, it has a presence, but due to the album falling victim to peer-pressure in fear of being left out, it will remain Faceless.
Writing from no background knowledge of Buried of Verona's catalogue, I am almost intrigued by the strange presence they have in the already static scene of core-crossovers. Their “near-template” look and appeal, can possibly repel or attract listeners to their rise in the ranks of the Australian metal and hardcore scene, and while their new release is indeed reinforcing such an observation in both promotion and sound, I cannot help but feel that they are pushing the mould, ever so slightly.
Faceless for all intents and purposes is a typical metalcore release; the structures, themes, gang shouts and polished choruses all solidifying this clichéd notion. However, the approach and direction of the album could be described as tenacious and refined in comparison to their contemporaries.
Brett Anderson's vocal performance, while definitely being an acquired taste, exhibits a rehearsed rhythm and execution. Add this to his very unique vocal style, the idea of having a “totured” soul in sound does take form at the best of times. While one could say that he sounds like Oli Sykes in the twilight of a pitch-shift glitch, the character his voice builds gives Faceless a catchy and fresh feel. Yet, this novelty wears thin at times, where his presence overpowers intended hooks, especially in tracks like “Blind Eyes” and “Graves”. The ideas are noteworthy; the implementation...not so much. Strangely enough, the same feeling of disappointment comes across on the instrumental side of the release. This album is riddled with memorable riffs, melodies, and transitions, but at times punishes the listener with routine structures and factory-built breakdowns. Songs like “Illuminate” and “Catatonic” would have shone and devastated if they had just taken that extra step in pushing the creative edge. The feeling one gets is that the break-through formula was found, and then mass-produced. This is not to say that the before mention tracks do not stand on their own at times, with both of them pushing past metalcore norms into a different arena of play; it just didn't help that the band demanded we notice them again and again and again.
However, the album does refresh listeners with some epic moments once one moves past all of this. Faceless does a fantastic job in maintaining the overall dark and angry theme, as intended by the band. Along with Joey Sturgis' top-notch production, the synth and programming work compliment the bottom-string staple quite nicely, and the powerful choruses and melodic leads that warmly hum beneath, really are a triumph for Faceless. “Splintered” is testament to this by being one of the punchiest and addictive metalcore tracks to come out this year, which shows us that there is a sense of solidarity in the BIV team. This is of course led by the pipes of Richie Newman, who's performance shines bright throughout the album and uplifts that which is lacking in weaker songs such as “Graves”. Even in the cringe-worthy “Set Me On Fire”, where the band decides to bring out its inner-down-syndromic Thirty-seconds to Mars, the song is involuntarily addictive. This chorus strength, along with the low-end thump amidst strong melody, creates a rugged and dire sound, which is a step-up from the heaps of metalcore theme thieves one can find in the scene today.
Buried in Verona, from the perspective of a new listener, has released a strong offering. Take it with a pinch of salt as these guys are not going to redefine the genre with this album, but they do take slight jabs at the omni-laws of contemporary metalcore (emphasis on the 'slight'), which could be its problem at the end of the day. It has a voice, it has a presence, but due to the album falling victim to peer-pressure in fear of being left out, it shall remain Faceless.
Recommended Tracks:
Splintered
Revival
Deception
The Damned
