Review Summary: Spread the Shred: the journey of four of metal's faithfuls in preservation of an endangered dialect.
If you told me a decade ago that most the bands releasing some of my favorite albums would, within the next five years, either disband or maul their own track record so much that they'd be considered inconsistent as best, I'd've laughed it off nervously. The metalcore genre was having a renaissance; NWOAHM's onslaught of innovative new sounds for the genre of metal seemed endless. Lo and behold, metal was inherited by the cautionary tales of Avenged Sevenfold, All That Remains, Bullet For My Valentine, Atreyu, etc. The blows dealt to NWOAHM were fatal. In response to the chaos the next generation inherited metalcore's wounded name, only to disregard it's esteemed upbringing (when it wasn't spitting in the face of it). Though not entirely lost, those who bear the herald of metalcore's true lineage are now without the power to reclaim their rightful place on the throne. The audacious usurpers have the voice of the new generation, and they use it fuel their excommuncation of metal's true fathers. Now if you had also told me in the same conversation ten years ago that a savior would be spotted on the horizon as light descends in the rearview, I would've found a blast shelter and began tallying the countdown. Enter Phinehas. Armed with the conviction to expand the banner of those recognizing metal's last great kings, they stand among few righteous brothers as Keepers of the Shred.
Till the End is the foursome's third installment of their chronicles, this time with a gamut of new precedents. In the previous two, their dedication to puristic testimony resulted in meager public success. Red Cord Recordings was the conduit to which their words were voiced, and by integration to the megalodon Victory their partnership was put out of its misery. Also departed from the Shred movement was one of their own in Jason Combs, and for a moment the future of Phinehas was in question. Miraculously the gods of metal heard their cry, and granted to them was none other than Daniel Gailey. Reputable for his own contributions to the stalwart Becoming the Archetype, Gailey proved to be even more gifted in his expression of true metal than his predecessor. But not only was Gailey instrumental to the band in his arrival, Artery Recordings became the crew's new sponsor. Despite a worrisome track record, Artery recognized the importance of renewing the Shred and has become an even greater boon to it than they know. Most importantly about the lineup and sponsorship changes within the group, a new mentality was instilled. With the knowledge of their previous two releases ultimately falling short of any true influence, Phinehas took a look at the other side of the fence. Trapped in an impasse of passage into metal's greatest threshold and a less commendable place where they could comfortably reside, Miss May I consulted the group of their shortcomings in contribution to the Shred. Phinehas then honed in on the early ventures of Miss May I along with that of Trivium, Motionless in White, and Parkway Drive, letting their ideals dot the landscape of
Till the End. Their intention to educate the younger that it IS possible to continue their more juvenile exploits while still giving themselves to the Shred is an idea that a Shred purist of old may be cautious to condone, but integration from above as below is the only true way to let the Shred spread from generation to generation.
In the stead of groups who crumbled under pressure of their stellar potential like Miss May I and Trivium, Phinehas's third release will stand the test of time as the example of metal's disciples who took the path of righteousness and stayed the course. The indigenous of metal's deep and far away caverns will preserve their own tribal livelihoods, only conflicting with the great herald of Shred now standing tall when they crawl close enough to witness it's blinding light. The Shred very well may never be restored to their throne, for the wind in the massive capitol shifts incessantly and each new king has his short reign only to again be swept away, but Phinehas's
Till the End will never be forgotten as a true testament to the Shred.
