Review Summary: Of Mice & Men does a major genre change that doesn't work out too well, but this album would still be pretty acceptable if that was the only problem.
Sometimes a change in vocalists can make or break a band. Often it will break them.
Let's take, for example, Attack Attack. When Austin Carlile left that band after their first album to join-- guess who? Of Mice and Men--the screaming aspect suffered a bit when Caleb Shormo stepped in. But Johnny Franck, the clean vocalist, helped keep the band afloat as well as a better band effort overall. But when Franck left and Shormo was forced to take over clean vocals as well, the band became pretty awful.
Of Mice and Men comes into this album with a new clean vocalist because Shayley Bourget left, and quite frankly, Aaron Pauley just is not as good. Austin Carlile is still there, although you might not know it if I didn't tell you. That's right: What the *heck* happened to Austin Carlile's voice? It sounds way more gravelly, and he just can't do the variety of screams that he used to be able to do. But that's not the only change that comes about on this album. That's right--the music sounds a heck of a lot different too.
"Public Service Announcement" would admittedly fit right in with The Flood's Deluxe Edition. But then comes "Feels Like Forever," and it seems like you've got the wrong band. This sounds like nothing Of Mice & Men has ever done before. It's more of a nu-metal sound, and that particular song has been compared to Tool. And although "Feels Like Forever" actually sounds pretty good, most of the rest of the new musical territories explored don't work very well. "Identity Disorder" is mostly just for radio appeal. "Another You" and "Would You Still Be There?" Those songs are *not* Of Mice & Men, no matter how you look at it. "Break Free" also suffers from poor screaming--proof of Carlile's decline.
However, the album is certainly not all bad. "Public Service Announcement" and "Bones Exposed" are pretty decent heavy tracks, and like I said, "Feels Like Forever" is a pretty good nu metal track. However, the highlight of the album by far is "You Make Me Sick," which is the real Of Mice & Men at their best. Could've come straight off the last album. The guitars and drums, which also suffer at times in the album, are at their best here, and Carlile sounds like he recorded this *long* before "Break Free"--in other words, like himself.
Of Mice & Men appears to be pushing for a return of nu metal--more of the type of nu metal that Slipknot and even Disturbed did back in the day. Well, fact is, they are not the correct band for the job. They are metalcore, not nu metal. At least that's what they're *supposed* to be. But they've forgotten that. Admittedly though, the album would still be acceptable if the genre change were the only problem--the quality of the album also has to do with Austin Carlile's unfortunate decline.
For a recent nu metal album that's actually good, try Love & Death's Between Here & Lost or Korn's The Paradigm Shift.
Recommended Tracks: "You Make Me Sick," "Bones Exposed," "Public Service Announcement"
