Review Summary: Life Leaves Only Scars, It Always Aims for the Heart
The difficulty in coping with depression transcends just those who suffer from it firsthand but also those whose loved ones are affected. Being forced to idly watch without having the individual know-how to help or make things better; pretending to feel sanguine for the sufferer that things will improve, that the negative mentality will just fade away with time. While love and support are vital, sometimes there’s nothing that can be done. Sometimes all that can be done is to watch them wither away. Sometimes you miss the signs completely and fail to understand the pleas for help. Without knowing it, you’re watching them wither away. Are you at fault for not noticing or would it not matter in the end?
‘Burying Brightness’ feels like a concept record that tackles despair not only personally but those who are close to us that are affected. “I wish that I could be satisfied/That I could know what fueled my stride/That I could know what I want from life” kicks off the intense vocal clamoring on “Realize and Rebuild”, the seventh track on the record. A personal look into the vocalist's struggles with self-direction, this track weaves through its themes flawlessly and emotionally with each line hitting harder than the previous one. This becomes a common theme throughout the record where if you’re not listening closely, you might miss an endearing and punishing phrase that establishes true relatability. The song continues: “There is no more intoxicating fantasy than to be extraordinary/I make a mentor out of every man I meet/A lover out of everyone I pass in the street” which further relates our protagonist to our own desires to belong and be something of value. Lyrically, this record is one of the strongest offerings of the year and certainly the deepest and most meaningful of Boundaries young career thus far.
The chaotic, emotional delivery of the vocals by front man Matt McDougal can be likened to the melodic hardcore stylings of other vocalists such as Jonathan Vigil of The Ghost Inside or even Daniel McWhorter of Gideon. It’s very guttural, visceral and conveys lots of emotional gravitas. In the final two minutes of the grandiose ten-minute closing track “The Tower”, McDougal invites listeners to behold the range of his vocal talents with extremely low screams, shrieking highs and a more frenetic pace to his delivery. While the rest of the record sees him rest in a comfortable vocal pocket, there are instances of the inclusion of clean singing vocals on tracks like “Heaven’s Broken Heart” and “No One Will Mourn You.” While they aren’t particularly flattering or angelic, they add an element to a very fiery band that makes them a bit more digestible and melodic between the chaos.
What separates Boundaries from other metalcore/hardcore bands in the scene today is the instrumental capacity and songwriting prowess that incorporates decades worth of heavy music into sometimes a single song. The second track on the record “Your Own Murder” ranges from early 2000’s metalcore to the likes of All That Remains to the chaotic style of hardcore influenced metalcore pioneered by Converge and Botch with heavy modern metalcore twists and even splashes of death metal here and there. The band is never content with staying in a single lane instrumentally with variations occurring constantly whether that be rapid drum beat switch-ups, quick transitions into variations of the same riff or ebbs-and-flows from groove to chaos. These performances are quite memorable because while all these elements are familiar, they are blended so well into these songs creating a whole new dynamic. The track “My Body is a Cage” is perhaps the most violent sounding musical creation they’ve laid out up till now. The opening moments of a child speaking the title of track breaking into a massive chunky riff is chilling and almost frightening in how abrupt it is. The song is non-stop aggression, never relenting for a melody and it works incredibly well. It doesn’t feel stale because the band understands the short attention span of listeners nowadays, so they switch up patterns and grooves every chance they get to grab the attention back.
This record, while not wholly original, is performed and constructed very well. Each track adds a bit of dimension to the overall themes of depression, self-exploration and misery lyrically and instrumentally, well the band certainly understands how to play their instruments at such a technical level that it can be hard to fathom. If you’re into bands like 156/Silence, Vatican or Orthodox, this band will most likely tickle your fancy.
Highlights:
“My Body is a Cage”
“Burying Brightness”
“Your Own Murder”
“The Tower”
“Realize and Rebuild”
