Review Summary: Technical, tasteless and a lot of fun.
Over produced metalcore is out of fashion. This shouldn’t be news to anyone. For most people, it was never in. Flashy, tasteless and formulaic encompass a majority of the criticisms leveraged and even the most defensive fans of the genre will relent: “it’s not for everyone”. This brand of metalcore did have some time in the sun in the late 2000’s, culminating in relative mainstream success for some of its bigger bands, but even at the time it was shunned by a vocal subset of the metal contingent for its poppy sound and odd aesthetic. Even to this day bands like Attack Attack, The Browning, and Enter Shikari are met with derision by some and general indifference from a majority of even their most earnest pre-2010 fans.
By the time Berried Alive’s Charlie Caswell and his previous band, Reflections, got their first record deal in 2012, the genre was circling the drain. Established technical djent bands were getting some decent success, enough to warrant the signing of additional bands, but the stagnant pool of riffs and breakdowns recycled ad nauseam hemorrhaged listeners over the years. The current state of the genre consists of established superstars playing nostalgic anniversary tours, local bands trying to make their name in a dying scene, and man-children trying their best to cling to their sliver of fame.
The ashes of dying genres often spawn outliers. When a scene is at capacity and labels are throwing money at bands that sound like facsimiles of one another, there’s not a lot of incentive to push the envelope. Eventually a genre as derivative and famously formulaic as the late 2000’s metalcore scene was destined to collapse, and in the post-scene void ushered in by the rise of bedroom metal has arisen the genre bending amalgam known as Berried Alive.
Divisive does not begin to describe the public response to the project and one listen should provide the answer why. Immediately apparent is the highly polished and technically profound guitar work of Caswell blended with poppy hooks and occasionally rapped vocals. The work blends vocal styles of modern pop artists like Verzache with the meticulously mastered guitar work of a modern metalcore band. As nausea inducing as this sounds (at times it is), the execution is clearly that of a perfectionist and talented technician.
The project boasts a collection of tremendous elements, the primary focus of which is Caswell’s guitar playing and his highly polished production style. The solos on this album absolutely rip, showcased best in the songs Lemon Drop and Blood Orange and the extremely creative killswitch work creates an interesting and unique guitar track which is often layered with catchy pop hooks and occasional accompanying synthwork. Some of the tracks sound like strong Aaron Marshall-esque guitar leads soaring over the track and soulfully squealing, while some of the more “playful” riffs sound like circus music, like Julius Fucik’s Entry of the Gladiators played on a seven-string guitar.
The lyrics are sophomoric, but heartfelt. It's difficult to knock a band for their lyrics when their candor is so apparent, but at times the vocal delivery and tone shifts so rapidly, it's hard to tell if this project is a joke or not. The absurd number of fruit puns and hip-hop riffs are interspersed with lines about self-hatred, not meeting expectations, and watching one’s dreams die. Inconsistent moments of self-seriousness are interrupted at times by cheap vocal tricks like the intro of Blood Orange, where a goofy laugh is punctuated with a cartoonish guitar lick.
In addition to the hip-hop influenced metalcore tracks there are quite a few melancholy down-tempo tunes like Princess Blanket and Preserves that would seem more at home in a lo-fi hip-hop playlist than a metalcore album. Another interesting but oddly different track is Post Office, which sounds more like a summer pop bump from 2010 than the rest of the album, but still includes the signature guitar work. Also present is the entirely regrettable tune Starfishman, sounding like a deepcut Insane Clown Posse song from the mid 2000’s, which could have been entirely omitted.
The eclectic mix of songs is certainly ambitious and for every massively irritating misstep, there seems to be an equally enjoyable innovation. It would be easy to sit back and dunk on the whole thing, but in a genre desperate for a breath of fresh air, it’s not difficult to see how it got to the point where literally anything that isn’t a group of men with their arms crossed in a field can pique public interest. Ultimately this is may be more accurately categorized as a pop album with metalcore influences, as a majority of the songs can’t really be remotely described as befitting the genre. If Berried Alive can polish the creativity and focus on a distinct vision, fans may have something to really sink their teeth into for the next release.
