Rareform

This album caused a great upheaval since the use of screamo vocals along with somewhat commercial riffs, caused a false impression on the critics and not many people lent them attention. They produced the album themselves, which emphasizes their intention to get ahead and whip up us. The band began to grow in the scene with bands like Born of Osiris and As Blood Runs Black, so people begin to relate them in the scene they wanted to unfold with.

I was first linked to After The Burial many years ago. At the time, I was in a very indifferent mood towards all things core, basically hating them for existing no-matter the actual merit of the band. I therefore hated the idea that these core kids were playing 8-string guitars, as I saw it as another gimmick. About 6 months ago, I actually went and listened to After the Burial and all my preconceptions vanished.

After the Burial play a technical and almost progressive form of metal, their 8-string guitars actually being used for sonic diversity, not just added chug. One thing is for certain and that's that these guys can riff. Every song on this album contains some absolutely top notch riffs and the breakdowns are simply crushing. The intro to "Berzerker" is a prime example of what this band is all about. Technical shredding, still done tastefully, while retaining heaviness and groove. The odd time signature changes don't even feel forced and the off time Meshuggah-esque groove never feels like it was done simply to show off.

The vocals are probably the weakest part of this band. While they aren't bad, they're too dry in a lot of sections. He has his moments, the ending breakdown to "Berzerker" comes to mind and most of "Aspiration", but overall the vocals sound too claustrophobic and cramped. As much as I'm loath to recommend it, more reverb in the studio would probably help.

This is a huge step up from After the Burial's previous effort, "Forging a Future Self". The production is tighter, the riffs are stronger and the music itself has benefited from the extra time spent in the industry. After The Burial have really tried to step away from the metalcore mould that is becoming so stale in its autumn years and what the future holds for them will be interesting, to say the least.