Review Summary: With their sophomore release, My Epic gifts listeners with one of the best Christian rock albums ever recorded.
A sophomore album is often a make-it-or-break-it point for a band. This is where an artist either begins a descent into mediocrity, or where they follow up on the potential of their debut. Fortunately, My Epic is absolutely the latter: Yet is a powerful record and superior followup to I Am Undone, and has only gotten better in the four years since its release.
The first thing that separates Yet from its predecessor is the fact that it's a considerably heavier and more aggressive album than I Am Undone, which was slower paced and more theatrical in comparison. The opening track "Author" raises the bar incredibly high: it's an immaculately-composed progressive indie rock composition that navigates the album's variety of styles and moods so organically that its intricacies are easily overlooked, from how well the progressions flow together. The pummeling force of its intro gives way to crystalline arpeggios and melodies before a stunning refrain, the guitar and bass orbiting around a bewitching vocal harmony that melts back into a scorching climax. Fans of Come Now Sleep-era As Cities Burn or Thrice's Alchemy Index, take note: My Epic have learned from the greats of progressive post-hardcore, and refined the craft in a fluid and natural manner.
Then, My Epic proceeds to leap over the bar. "Lower Still" is not only the best song My Epic have ever written, it's a rock composition that deserves to be praised in frightfully superlative terms. "Lower Still" is the rare song that doesn't merely make your blood run cold once; it has the same effect, every single time, if anything growing even more captivating in its terse beauty upon each listen. It's rather quaint to think that once, evangelical Christians though rock music to be satanic; "Lower Still" is a convincing argument that, quite contrarily, aggressive rock music might be the best vehicle for the core message of Christianity. The tension between death, sin, and the invading Resurrection swirls in a grinding, dissonant clash of Already and Not-Yet, manifested in the distortion punctuating melody. There is Beauty and Hope, but not without sacrifice and pain. "Lower Still" would be a standout track even if the music couldn't match its lyrics, but the two are married perfectly. The rumbling bass and uneasy arpeggios that open the song transfix the birth of Christ in all its nervous uncertainty, as the turbulent riffs spiral through the life of Christ and erupt at the Crucifixion and Resurrection. As Stone screams "And death itself! No longer reigns," it's impossible to be unaffected by the vivacity of My Epic's songcraft.
Even though the rest of Yet doesn't quite live up to the staggering heights of the first two tracks, it remains the best album, overall, that the band has released thus far. "Lashes" is about struggling with pornography and lust, and despite the more upbeat sound in comparison to the first two tracks, it's thematically quite different from the preceding songs. While "Rich" is a comparatively straightforward song, its soaring chorus and lead guitars are impressively transfixing. The album's center is its weakest stretch - while the dark "Sound And Fury" is propelled by a powerful chorus, "Patience And Silence" lacks the hooks to bolster its clean sound, the opposite side of the same problematic coin that affects "Pour" and "Ashes." These aren't bad songs, but the hooks and lyrics aren't nearly as compelling as those of "Lower Still" or "Lashes," which are in the same stylistic vein. My Epic does struggle, somewhat, to find a middle ground between writing songs between Utterly Mesmerizing and Unremarkable.
But the album closes almost as impressively as it began. "Further Up/Further In" is driven by some of the best vocals and melodies on the album, while "Perfector" is a powerful finishing track with excellent, evocative lyrics. Yet is a much more immediate album than the band's other releases and remains the best point of entry into their thoughtful brand of progressive rock. The love of their craft - and thoughtfully-manifested faith - pervades the album and makes Yet a rare release of Christian music that is emotionally and intellectually impressive in equal measure, and easy to recommend to anyone who likes intelligent rock music that pushes the boundaries of convention, not just an assumed Christian audience. Which is probably exactly what My Epic intended to accomplish.
