Review Summary: Its good, for the most part.
In Ancient times, or rather 1999, there was a vocalist named
Howard Jones. His band at this time, would be none other than
Blood has been shed. This album was their debut. I must say some songs on here made me feel like Howard should have stuck with them. This album isn't perfect, however it seems to be a better fit than
Killswitch Engage would later be. Attempts will be made to keep the comparisons to that band to a minimum.
This album is not that long, a little over 26 minutes. If anything,
I dwell on thoughts of you is a pretty straight-foward hardcore album, and there are very few moments when it tries to be anything else. This is its greatest strength, but at the same time, its greatest weakness. The 7 tracks are all very heavy and energetic. the opening one for instance,
From the outside, best showcases that. The majority of the album has that feel to it. However,that feeling does drag it down. The first half of the album sounds the same, and even with all the energy, it can get boring to a adapt listener of heavy music.
There are also some audio clips in between of news clips and people speaking that seem a little too long, or even unnecessary. Some of them might be intended to give a heavy or dark feel. Possibly even to build hype for the next track. it is a bit excessive instead, or so it would seem. Though a few things have been listed here that can take away from the album, it has redeeming qualities.
Though many tracks on here are somewhat similar, The tracks display great breakdowns, Strong vocals, and a very energetic feel to them. Some tracks do contain soft vocals. These spot are carefully chosen, which is a strength of the album.
Willful Ignorance is a fine example of choosing the right spots for clean vocals. It may not be a perfect formula every time, but it works. In the end, I personally think this style of music was better suited for
Howard Jones. This review isn't about him, however he is a key factor in making this album what it was. All i really would say to anyone is that this may not be classic or even great, but its good, for the most part.
Recommended tracks
-From The Outside
-Willful Ignorance
