Review Summary: While Everything That Got Us here can feel a bit generic and bland at times, it also features some of the catchiest Secrets songs to date.
Secrets have always been the victim of an ever changing lineup. Each of their previous two albums has featured a different screamer. Fragile Figures was easily their best material and the band showed quite a bit of promise behind the screamer/singer dynamic duo Aaron Melzer and Richard Rogers. When news broke that Aaron had left the band I was extremely disappointed. Nevertheless I was still excited to hear Everything That Got Us Here and how new frontman and screamer Wade Walters fit in.
The album kicks off with an odd 30 second accapella, barber shop-esque intro. It’s an odd choice for an intro and makes for a bit of a messy transition into the next track. Regardless props should be given to the band for going out of their comfort zone and trying something new. “Rise Up” begins with some incredibly catchy riffs which transitions into Richard’s soaring clean vocals. The song is also the first to feature new frontman and screamer, Wade Walters. He doesn’t have the dominating presence and range that ex vocalist Aaron Melzer had but he is still a solid replacement. He rarely strays from the powerful, mid screams and surprisingly only shows up on a couple lines of the entire song. The song’s chorus is catchy but comes out cliche due to lyrical content.
One thing that is evident throughout is the dominance of clean vocals. I was surprised how much the screaming has been cut back on this album. It’s not to say that there is no screaming, its just not nearly as present as it was on previous releases. It is a shame because Secrets hits their stride best with the screaming and singing duality. Songs such as ” Learn To Love”, “In Loving Memory” and “The Man That Never Was” are some of the best on the album due to the incredibly catchy and fun back and forth of aggressive and melodic sounds. Some songs where Wade is absent can come across a bit bland if not for Richard’s fabulous vocals. It’s not to say that all the songs that lack screaming are bad. “For What It’s Worth” and “I’ll Be Fine” have some bouncy hooks, infectious guitar work with the final result being some great pop driven songs.
Despite Everything That Got Us Here being one of the bands weaker releases, its a worthy effort. It features Secret’s signature blend of melodic catchy choruses and well crafted riffwork. While Everything That Got Us here can feel a bit generic and bland at times, it also features some of the catchiest Secrets songs to date.
Attribution: http://www.soundfiction.net/2015/12/09/album-review-secrets-everything-that-got-us-here/
