Album Rating: 3.5

This surprised me. I think it leans a bit towards the more generic side of metalcore, but it's mostly excusable because they write some very enjoyable choruses like in Adrift, Shallows, Burn, Liminal. It's also infinitely better than their stuff I listened to in high school.

Album Rating: 4.0

Oh, Sleeper was great in that regard too. At least before Shane got too much of the spotlight lol, but his voice was never whiny

Album Rating: 3.5

sick review, futures! killed this one!



the production on the album is holding it back from a 4 for me, but man, oblivion has been getting me through a dark week mentally - possibly their best chorus ever next to the original autumn, just pure catharsis

Album Rating: 4.2

so happy to share this moment with all my htd/christcore bros m/ monumentus occasion.



and yeah nash i think you're onto something there. they've always had such a knack for killer hooks and the interplay is on another level. so many earworms. stitches is definitely what hooked me as a kid. brennan is so good and i really love his voice now. so much texture. saw some complaints about his voice now which i find confusing. i really like the contrast it adds. more subdued but still really great hooks.



sr, oblivion is really special track. adrift is my favorite but what an epic grand finale if this is it.

Album Rating: 4.2

great shout mimsy btw, should be a new one this year!



and thrilled you got a bit out of this gyro. i think you'd like coward even more! they've always been really well written and performed "standard" metalcore. best it can be without being too generic. something comforting about it. simple stuff executed to a high level. performances and writing were far beyond their contemporaries back in the day.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

This might not top coward but it’s starting to click for me and I really like it

Album Rating: 4.0

Jamming When I Am God rn and damn this album hits

Album Rating: 3.5

For newcomers I would check Pressure the Hinges just on premise of uniqueness. While it has some of their best straight bangers, they also tread some unique territory on that album. And Chorus of Angels is just gnarly

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah good call out Mimsy, Sleeper are def in that category too. And Jimmy was definitely unique as well as a screamer. They had little things like that I felt differentiated them well. And then they also just executed it all better than most

Album Rating: 4.0

Jimmy's screams were the perfect innoculation for getting into Zao

Album Rating: 4.2

coma, coward is such a one of a kind album it's hard for me to judge lol. but man it's awesome.



like i've said before, wolf king is my favorite and hinges, bridges, coward and dissenter are basically a toss up depending on the day. right now it might be hinges, i was listening to it when writing parts of this. rare to have a band be super consistent but very different album to album.

Album Rating: 4.2

haha mimsy said a similar thing in my review! i got into the stephen stuff first then the jimmy albums. his voice definitely got me used to more unique and abrasive styles.

Album Rating: 4.0

That must be what got me thinking about it. I did read it at like 3 in the morning lol

loved reading this. the way you put the reader directly in your shoes as a young fan of the genre to having a lifetime relationship with this band, leading us through their discography and building up to the release of this newest album, then bringing us through your experience of this new album and bringing it all back down to earth at the end. zero notes, bravo!

i have tried to get into this band a couple of times in the past but it didn’t grab me, but now i feel like i need to them another shot

Album Rating: 4.2

always appreciate your kind words friend. much too kind in fact!



this one was just so personal for me, only way i could've done it and been satisfied lol. it's crazy though writing and just going down memory lane, digging up stuff you vaguely remember. i was jamming their old stuff during the intro part and it was pretty emotional not gonna lie. all the good memories and associations come back. started listening to them when i was probably 13, 31 now. just insane.



i hope you do give them another shot, this isn't a bad starting point. i think you'd dig coward in particular as well! that ones a bit more aggressive, especially the ryan tracks. like "take" is basically a converge song with a massive gang shouted hook. so good. or wolf king for the flashiest fun melodies and hooks ever. lots of variety to explore!