Glass Casket is:
Adam Cody - Vocals
Sid Menon - Bass, Vocals
Blake Richardson - Drums
Blake Tuten - Guitars
Dustie Waring - Guitars
Glass Casket's debut effort easily secures their place among a wave of bands pushing metalcore and grind together and changing up both musical formulas as they see fit. Bands like Converge, Remembering Never, and most notably, Between The Buried And Me, have attained this new sound, and Glass Casket provides their own take on it here. Comparisons to Between The Buried And Me can be made, but each band has their own signature sound.
Dedicated to Adam Cody's sister, Erin McClain Cody,
We Are Gathered Here Today is often an intense experience for the listener. Pounding down-tuned palm muting is relied upon to reach the heavy foundation, but changeups are common, whether there are spastic high-pitched guitar breaks or (in most cases) trilled, harmonized guitar runs. These runs make up Glass Casket's niche for the most part; just when you think you understand a song's section, it changes up with a guitar fill and leaves you in the dust again.
The drum and bass work should also be complimented. Richardson is amazing almost everywhere here, whether it's pounding double bass, offbeat snare triplets or the oddest of fills to change things up, he's all over the map. The bass work is solid and relied upon just as much as any of the other instruments.
Cody's vocal stylings range from hardcore to death metal to (in the bnd's most accessable song, "In Between The Sheets") emo. His lows are punishing, often accompanied by relentless double bass and firestorming guitar work. His highs cover the metalcore aspect, from screams to belted yelling. His singing, though uncommon, is beautiful and haunting.
The song selection is diverse, yet endearing. "Pencil Lead Syringe" starts you off, and has so many influences it's hard to tell where all these ideas came from. Hardcore interludes lead into spastic off-time guitar parts which lead into metal pounding before starting the cycle over again. It's difficult to come to terms with, but once you have, it's even more difficult to shake the thought of. The pace continues with "And So It Was Said" and "Chew Your Fingers" until we reach "In Between The Sheets", which shines as the most diverse and best song on the album. Amazing harmonized guitar spectacles, excellent drumwork, defiant grindcore breaks, a beautiful solo section with fantastic singing, and one last amazing breakdown. It has to be heard to be understood.
All in all, this is a promising start for a band that paves the way for a new line of heavy music. Touching on so many styles would seem like a feat to most bands, but Glass Casket does it effortlessly.
Notable Songs: "Pencil Lead Syringe", "And So It Was Said", "In Between The Sheets"
Rating: 4/5
