Review Summary: Metalcore is still...well...average
Rise Records is one of those record labels that just irk me. They always seem to have decent bands, but never great ones. Most of these bands also follow the same basic structure of having both clean and harsh vocals, and usually being mediocre musically. On a whim found a band called Miss May I, and was dismayed to find that they were on Rise, but after listening I discovered that their second album,
Apologies Are For The Weak is completely different from most Rise bands.
Expecting some decent harsh vocals mixed with whiny cleans and average instruments, I was met with solid harsh vocals, adequate cleans and technical instrumentation that reminded me of a slightly less talented and polished August Burns Red. Songs like Architect, and
Apologies Are For The Weak show the band’s talent as long as the vocalist’s decent range. His vocals range from high shrieks, to low growls, but normally stay at what can be described as a mid-ranged raspy scream. While not the most talented vocalist in the genre, his screams are good enough to be up to par with the band’s technical ability. The clean vocals forsake the whiny high vocals of bands such as The Devil Wears Prada and Attack Attack and instead stay in a lower pitch, which sounds good with the bands overall sound.
Apologies For The Weak is not a flawless record though. The similar sounding guitar riffs, consistent breakdowns, and a general lack of real original songwriting bog it down, and as you work your way from A Dance With Aera Cura through Forgive and Forget you’ll find yourself asking whether you heard that riff before or whether your just going crazy.
Miss May I is not the most original band (or even close) to step out into the world of metalcore, but they do bring to the table some technicality and a good set of vocals, and therefore some listeners may want to check out
Apologies For The Weak, but if metalcore tends to bore you and your looking for something fresh and unique, this is not the place to start.
