Review Summary: sweet vindication
A Touché Amoré fan and a 7 Angels 7 Plagues fan walk into a bar, and the bartender asks them, "What is your favourite Ebullition-era screamo band?" The following conversation is how I imagine the creative process for this record went. Roman Candle's debut EP was already on the aggressive side of emo, but with
UNADULTERATED, the band has doubled down on their hardcore influence and unleashed a new version of themselves that is more vitriolic than ever before, and rightly so given the themes of domestic abuse, survivor's guilt, and bloody revenge that are conveyed through vocalist Piper Ferrari's lyrics. "Blasphemous Act" makes clear this new heaviness with a running count of four open string breakdowns that get progressively stupider (non-derogatory), and the panic-chord attack during "Fire In The Night Sky Forever" only seals the deal, but the band has not gone full on metalcore here, and most of their riffs still weave a fine balance between bouncy pull-offs and driving minor-key melodies that open up into more wind-swept moments of catharsis or reflective spoken word sections.
If I had to pick one word to describe
UNADULTERATED, it would be
"fluid," not only for the way the band is able to traverse their influences without ever falling into the trappings of mimicry but also for the way Piper Ferrari's vocal performance sits atop the mast, reacting to every pitch and roll with an equal adjustment in distortion and tone. "For Once My Hands Are Still" might actually be one of the best spoken word songs I've ever heard because of how well Ferrari's dream-like narrative of unconscious murder suits the band’s hypnotic and unsettling instrumental. If the album has any weak spots at all, it's that the final track feels all too brief and anticlimactic after such a chilling piece, but
UNADULTERATED is undoubtedly a success and a great moment of vindication for a band who worked hard to rebuild their reputation after being put through the wringer of keyboard justice. Roman Candle knows their truth, they know their values, and they have the musical chops to back it up. Respect.
