Review Summary: Fun and metal in the same sentence?
To me, Stray The Path have discovered what the hardcore scene has been missing for a while. Playfulness. Make Your Own History sounds like it has been written by a band who write for the sake of playing songs they enjoy, rather than ticking the boxes of what they think the masses would approve of.
These days I find it hard to understand how hardcore originated as a blend of metal, crossover and punk when half the bands I hear under the label are about as punk as the Spice Girls. Stray From The Path find harmony between the the genres and, mainly thanks to the vocals, have found originality in something that should be textbook generic.
The opening of the album caught me by surprise. It begins with Lucid Dreaming, where a repeated chant begins over a distorted drum beat. Perhaps I should have known not to expect something bland from a band on the Summerian roster, but it caught me by surprise. From then on the band play 11 brutally short songs with crazy aggression but also pin point precision. The album is similar to their previous -Villains, but also shows a progression which is encouraging.
I have no idea how to label the band. The vocals actually remind me of Test Icicles, but the band is obviously quite a different style. At times they remind me a bit of Gwen Stacy with a more noisy attitude, glossed over with a more southern rock tone, perhaps in the style of Every Time I Die and I even hear guitar techniques reminiscent of Psyopus in places!
What I respect most about the band is that they are unique, and it has become rare that I say that. Contrary to what most people seem to say, I don’t think this scene is over saturated at all. Having said that, when a band like Stray From The Path breathes some fresh air as they have done with this album, I gleefully embrace the change.
The only criticism I would have of the album is that every song is so damn short. By the time I get into the groove of a track, it’s over and a new one begins. Having the album so short does work to their advantage, as they needn’t to vary the tempo/dynamics much. If the album were any longer I might complain that the songs are all quite similar and they could do with varying the set a bit to create a more inspiring listen. However, the album is obviously intentionally 90 miles-per-hour throughout and the listening experience is certainly an exciting one.
