Review Summary: Doesn’t break any norms, doesn’t try too hard, and is all the better for it.
With names like
Fatalize and Afterdusk, you would be hard pressed to think that this album is anything other than a niche, albeit generic, progressive metalcore album, and indeed, this album does fall into that category.
But hey, the truth is that this debut LP from a band whose name (coincidentally or not) is literally taken off a Silent Planet track is actually quite fun.
Now note here that I didn’t say amazing, genius, brilliant, or any other adjective that over-validates their performance. I said “fun.” So what does that mean? The reality is that if you’re looking for even remotely accessible metalcore these days, you’re bound to find a sea of derivative, practically plagiaristic bands that don’t really push any envelopes or do anything different. That being the case, the focus becomes singling out the guys who just do it better than the rest, and Afterdusk simply take the formula and run with it. They do it pretty damned well to boot, too.
A lot of bands trying to do "progressive metalcore" lean heavily into one or the other. They either try too hard to be "progressive," or they are not sure how to and so most of their music ends up being generic metalcore. Finding a balance between these two factors is where a lot of this genre falls down. While Afterdusk tend to play it safe on
Fatalize, they do so in a way where it isn't boring. Furthermore, their songwriting has enough gumption and sufficient flourishes that it is not weighed down by attempts to be as serious as it possibly can. They know their place in the world of music and somehow the holier-than-thou feeling that accompanies so many of these records was not nearly as prevalent here. The album is also benefitted by excellent musicianship. The vocals (both clean and harsh) were noticeably well done, and the band itself is talented and energetic. The riffs blister, the drums bang, and there is even some audible bass in the mix.
Of course, I cannot go by without pointing out that the band wears its influences on its sleeves in bold, capital letters (i.e. it isn't strikingly original). Furthermore, the atmospheric passages throughout the album (while mostly well-executed) sometimes came across as distracting, but it's a debut, and Afterdusk certainly show that if they can take the qualities that make them special and build on them, they have a lot of potential for the future.
As I get older and find myself drifting away from this genre into things like synthwave or shoegaze or even post-metalcore, it's good to know that there are young bands that seem to have a hope of carrying the torch into the future. This may not be your record of the year, but it's definitely worth the forty-five minutes of fun.
