Review Summary: One of the best records i've heard in a decade.
Ill have to admit when i first came across this band i was a bit skeptical. The name threw me off at first as i was thinking to myself oh great another post hardcore band this should be interesting. This band was anything but that.
Right off the bat when this record kicked off it set this creepy almost queen of the damned musical vibe. Made me want to drink a nice glass of merlot while having a merry laugh with my vampy friends. But it didn't take long for that vibe to change and make me want to start kicking people in the face. The lyrics "if there were no laws who would you kill" really had my making a hit list in my head. The rest of the record was a really good mix of just about everything i love in the rock and metal genre. This band truly has everything from the feel of Ramstein lets break everything to the slam that bottle of whiskey feel of Pantera.
The vocals were not what i expected out of a typical metal band either. Singer Thomas Crane brings this almost Seattle kind of sound with his grainy yet melodic voice. The lyrics to the bands track Deviant is probably now my new favorite drinking song as it just makes you want to "Pass that bottle around". Tracks like Six Feet Down and Future Ex bring that southern vibe of drinking hard and blowing *** up. Ilyn Nathaniel's bass grooves bring back that power groove playing that you'd expect to hear from the likes of Rex Brown (Pantera) or Mike Dean (C.O.C). If you crank it up it truly sounds like a freight train of *** your face coming straight for you. Matthew Beals guitar skills on this record are on point as well. The guitar playing on this record i must say is mind blowing to me as a fellow guitarist. I have no idea what planet or where this player came from but his versatility is astounding going from that straight forward grinding guitar riffs to intricate patterns that you'd have to be a math professor to make sense of yet they sound oh so heavenly to ones ear drum. Their drummer Danny Cayocca seems to be pretty spot on with those patterns as well. The only flaw i would say i could see in this record was the low end is a little weak in the mastering or mixing process somewhere So i had to crank my bass up on my system. Other then that i would say this is probably one if not the most favorite bands i have come across and i recommend everyone into checking them out. I am definitely putting them on my summer wish list of bands i would like to see live.
Their site can be found at
www.facebook.com/TogetherInExileOfficial
-Michael Parsons
