Review Summary: With this halfhearted sophomore, Rose Funeral have proven to us all that they do not have the talent or creativity to stand out amongst their endless deathcore competitors.
Rose Funeral have never really been an act for appraisal, but you have to give them some credit. Back when they got started, the whole deathcore thing was just blooming. From where we come from (My, and Rose Funeral's, home town of Cincinnati), Rose Funeral were one of the bands who really got the local core scene started. Ryan, the only founding member still in the band, had just departed from a much more respectable hardcore band who I will leave unnamed for the sake of decency. This band along with Suffocate Faster LITERALLY started the Cincinnati hardcore scene, but Rose Funeral were really the fist to capitalize it with their generic but well put together songs which came complete with some very memorable breakdowns. This coupled with the very blatant brutality of the lyrics, inspired a whole new generation of "Hardcore kids" around here. So, regardless of how generic the music was, they had some classic anthems that you couldn't help but enjoy.
But what about now? Ryan has since kicked out or separated with every member who's signature styles made Rose Funeral. So with a new gang of off the streets members and a shinny new record deal to Metal Blade, the band has offered us a follow up to "Crucify. Kill. Rot" dubbed "The Resting Sonata". With this new album, Rose Funeral had to make the choice all breakthrough deathcore bands have to make. They could either make a whole new set of memorable anthems set to their style, which they no longer had the creative members for, or they could try a somewhat new direction and hope to become a better band. Well, Rose Funeral chose to attempt a slightly different direction. Unfortunately, this direction is leading nowhere really fast. We've been presented with a slightly more death metal oriented yet still breakdown clad second effort that is both unoriginal and forgettable.
So what is so what is so bad about this album?
Well for starters there have been few to no improvements, just changes. The catchy guitar riffs and memorable hooks are gone, and we are left with songs that seem too literally just be breakdowns with build ups to them. The breakdowns are indeed heavy, but they are also very boring and don't really stick in your mind. The riffs no longer stick to the basic deathcore style and have changed to a very apathetically put together collection of death metal excuses. The new vocalist has a higher to lower range, but they differ from the classic Rose Funeral style and are not very unique in any way. The drumming is really the only thing that is even remotely impressive, but definitely not enough so to save the songs. The bass is practically nonexistent, but I'm sure it's crap. All in all the songs are very boring and all sound rather similar.
Oh, and lets talk about the lyrics. As impossible as it seems, the lyrics have gotten even less creative. On the previous work, Destin's lyrics were generic, but they were executed in a way that made them stand out in you head and drew you into the song. Some of the lyrics on the last record were arguably classic. I don't know who's writing the lyrics for this album, but they are quite crude. It's very seriously as if they just looked up as many terms for killing someone or mocking god as they could, threw them all in a raffle, then matched them up for songs. Aside from a catchy little line from "Redeemer of the Flesh", these might be some of the worst deathcore I've ever heard.
Sorry for the short review, but this album doesn't have a lot to offer. All in all, this album is disappointing. If you are a hardcore tween who creams his pants at a bassy breakdown, you might get a kick out of this. But rather than buy this album, you might just want to go to the nearest dump and pick it up from where the last person with musical taste left it. Hopefully Rose Funeral with eventually die out from all the member changes before they completely eclipse the semi glory they once embraced. Until then, here's hoping! :D
