Review Summary: Life Gone Wrong is Melodic Hardcore done right.
Hardcore as a genre is known for showing great aggression and serves as having the ability to be one of the more emotionally draining genres for this field. With that in mind, it’s easy for naysayers to dismiss the genre as being nothing more than a bunch of rowdy kids shrieking and bashing their guitars in an attempt to sound intense and in your face. However beneath this one can find many bands who attempt to try something a little different and “Landscapes” fall under this description.
From the outset Life Gone Wrong appears to be your prototypical hardcore album, however there’s one key distinguishing feature that becomes apparent on this album that can summarised in one word, emotion. Again high emotions aren’t treading far from the hardcore waters but it’s the actual technique in which these emotions are implemented that makes it different from the pact. There’s a great sense of anguish that’s deeply entrenched within this record. The vocals are shrieked with a huge fiery passion that sounds as though every last word could be the last ever words to be spoken by the vocalist, that in tandem with the blunt morose lyrical content regarding loss, self consciousness and sorrow makes the words have a real impact as though it’s not just for show. There are not only huge screams to be found however as there are also a few softer sections involving such things as the soft spoken almost monologue sounding opening on "Providence". Also one use of a sample as a sort of interlude/intro between “Forgiveness” and “Epilogy” is executed excellently and provides the albums high point. All this goes to show there’s more depth behind Life Gone Wrong than a bunch of loud angry shrieking men.
Conversely however the instruments act as a sort of antithesis towards the vocals. Rather than displaying fast chords and a high tempo, the instruments carry the title of being the melodic part of this melodic hardcore sound. Sweeping sections of melancholy and an aura of structure and melody are present at the forefront in Life Gone Wrong’s instrumental presentation. Starting from the guitars that are softly picked and sweep harmoniously into bursts of energy during more intensive moments, both of which carry the sense of anguish and woe emoted by the vocals. Drums also feature a very heavy thunderous sound which helps coincide with the albums sound and keeps down a pounding rhythm. Bass whilst sadly being less prominent also keeps in line with the dread and woe presented within the albums atmosphere. The major connection that all the instruments have is that they share the same emotional level as the vocals which could have made or broken the album, however instead of presenting a feeling of anger or betrayal that’s presented via the vocals there’s a different feeling evoked from the instruments. Instead of anger or betrayal the instruments sound very melancholic, acting more as an orchestral score in support of the bellows of anguish to bring the emotions to life and support them.
With this melding comes an album that is plagued by a sense of suffering. Planting the seeds for a great melodic hardcore album with huge riffs, beautiful instruments and an intense sense of melancholy and having it grow into a black frail tree that stands tall upon the hilltops surrounded by an ominous aura of sorrow.
