I am going to start this review off in a little bit different fashion. I am going to address a certain aspect of hardcore music which is in turn a main reason for injuries amongst adolescents in pits. Ok so everyone knows what I am talking about right? Straight up and being as blunt as I can, a breakdown should be a four letter word when in the hands of the wrong artist(s). Established metalcore acts such as Killswitch Engage and Unearth have dialed down the art of the breakdown. If you think there is no art to a breakdown, pick up one of their records and compare it to some newer acts on the scene. Younger metalcore acts such as Bleeding Through and It Dies Today have a tendency to force breakdowns into their mix. It is quite obvious when this occurs, but nevertheless the song and life goes on. However, until hearing I Killed The Prom Queen I was clueless as to how much a drawn out breakdown or five could actually bring down a band. The Australia act has so many good ideas and songs put together until their breakdowns come out. It is just down right frustrating as to how much of a boner killer these breakdowns can be. However, they still manage to fuse together many aspects of metal, death metal (very sparingly) and hardcore. Even while being plagued by out of control breakdown usage, I Killed The Prom Queen still creates a listenable record with
Music For The Recently Deceased.
Right from the get go listener’s will notice the mass amount of diversity present in the group’s overall sound. Aside from sporting a fairly interesting title,
Sharks In Your Mouth contains some eclectic sounds. From its slowly building drum roll intro to the riff fest of the verse it is clear the group can create some brutal music incorporating hints of melody. As far as the vocals go, the screaming is very immense. From the straight screeches to the growls, Ed gives a powerful performance. One surprise I had right away was in the chorus. Metalcore + chorus = singing one would think. Well they practically flipped off the “rule book” of standards and stereotypes here as they went into a deep growling and blast beat section here instead of a typical half time sung chorus. Once more a pleasant surprise was waiting as the first guitar solo came out. The solo alone was a shock but the quality of it was the real treat. It immerges right after a nicely done breakdown (this won’t last long). Right away it incorporates melody into the song as it keeps a fairly steady moderate pace until its end. The brief tapping section is nicely done, not ruing the pace yet still standing out. Than it happens, the first overly drawn out breakdown which pretty much is what makes up the final 45 seconds of the song. Aside from the poor outro, the opener sure is strong showing what the group is capable of.
The next track
Say Goodbye shows a bit of the group’s mainstream side. The heaviness is apparent right from the start between the hard hitting riffs and the brutal double bass pattern. While screams and some growls make up the verse, some octave chords lead into a sung chorus. Can’t say that I’m crazy impressed by the singing, it is fairly average in tone and stays in a confined range throughout the album. However, it does fit the music well making it at least listenable. Once again the group gets plagued by a breakdown. The production here gradually fades into one, making it seemingly drawn out. It is extremely forced and just makes the song drag. The breakdown transition back into the chorus seems ever so cliché. However, there is another breakdown towards the end which is much improved in terms of execution, at least for the first half. A nice riff leads into this one making the transition so much more natural. It does begin to drag until they use the tired transition of going back into the chorus. While the song is repetitive and transitions are a little generic, it certainly does an adequate job of introducing the singing aspect of the group.
As previously stated I have never heard a band being brought down so much by breakdowns. The fourth track
Your Shirt Would Look Better With A Columbian Neck Tie is a prime example of this. It starts out with a great drum intro before unleashing a breakdown from the start. Not lasting too long, it serves as a legit transition before things go into a typical verse. At this point their main style is becoming slightly repetitive but still consistent is quality. The chorus is sung and is much stronger than the previous track. Following the chorus, the second verse has guitar chords rung out. This allows a diverse atmosphere to overtake the song as opposed to the typical riff filled verses. They switch things up once more taking a start stop rhythm approach as they transition into the chorus. Once again a pleasant surprise awaits, as a solo follows the chorus as opposed to the expected breakdown. The solo gets the job done, mainly a shredder but works out due to the songs nature. Unfortunately another breakdown comes out, this time starting with one guitar chugging. This of course adds to its drawn out nature as it almost kills all the excitement the song previously created. It is incredible how 40 seconds can literally ruin over 3 minutes of excitement, it truly truly is.
For the most part the rest of the album is what has already been heard. One of the highlights has to be
Headfirst From A Hangman’s Noose. This track definitely restricts breakdown use which is the first obvious plus of it. Note, by breakdown restrictions I mean only two. The verse here just has so much more fury than usual. Between the chaotic sounding vocals and in your face guitar, the heaviness is quite apparent. However, the melodic twist on this one sure is something else. The lead work here is probably the best on the record. It is very slow and melody based, even getting harmonized for a moment. The transition from that into the final chorus is phenomenal as is the usage of dual vocals on the ending chorus. Thankfully they do not go into a breakdown to close the song which makes this track enjoyable.
Slain Upon My Faithful Sword represents nothing new to what has already been heard, yet still contains some nicely written parts. There is a blast beat section during the verse and some pinch harmonics come out during one of the breakdowns. Of course the breakdowns are in excess here, at least for my tastes. The singing fails to project emotion here and in fact the only real difference present here is the closing piano outro. The last real song
Like Nails To The Casket features a whooping two minutes of straight breakdown feel. What an epic way to end things. I do however like the closing instrumental piece
There Will Be No Violins When You Die. Its atmosphere is very pleasing and shows that the group is capable of writing and creating solid music. I really begin to wonder why they feel the need to throw breakdowns into almost every nook and cranny of their songs.
Some bands use breakdowns as filler; it is just something to increase the length of a song. Other groups do it because they lack imagination and/or just want to start a mosh. Here is the problem; there is no need for I Killed The Prom Queen to bring them out as much as they do. They have so many great ideas in their music that their massive breakdown use really brings their sound and song quality down. From the heavy hitting riffs, pounding drums, nice vocal work and even a handful of legit solos, they have more than enough ingredients to create enjoyable songs. However, for some odd reason they feel the desire to throw breakdowns into everything, ruin the flow and in turn make the songs drag. It truly is a shame, as I have never in my life listened to an album that is so brought down by breakdowns. While its occasional generic and repetitive sound doesn’t compromise its listenable state, the over usage of breakdowns does. Hopefully with their next release the group will realize that their sound does not need to rely on breakdowns. With restriction and more precise use of breakdowns, I Killed The Prom Queen is more than capable of creating an enjoyable record. Until than, their current album
Music For The Recently Deceased will only show what potential they possess along with how much an abundance of breakdowns can hold a band back.
Final Rating: A strong 3/5
