When Love Would Have Shown Interest In Us Both (Remastered)

Bird of Ill Omen changed their sound between the impressive "Self, Dare You Still Breathe..." and this follow-up EP. It wasn't a big evolution, but these four songs are tighter, faster, smoother and shorter than anything on their album. The only line-up change was the drummer, but he was also involved in songwriting, so this may have affected their core sound. "When Love Would've Shown Interest in Us Both" is in keeping with the slightly chaotic, slightly melodic style of underground metalcore that prevailed at the end of the nineties, and became popular in the years that followed.

For me, the band lost something when they removed the sludgiest, moodiest parts from their sound. This EP reminds me more of earlier metalcore records like "When Blood and Fire Bring Rest" (Zao), "Memoirs Of Cynicism" (New Day Rising) and "Untune the Sky" (Acacia). Bird of Ill Omen made something which was more accessible than those records, but which has the same gravel-throat screams and similar semi-chaotic/semi-melodic riffs. I see this as a bridge between those records and something like "The Burial Plot Bidding War" by Every Time I Die (released a year later). The latter band stuck around and made a career out of it, Bird of Ill Omen did not.

The problem is that there aren't really any 'songs' here. I would struggle to remember anything from this record. "Watch Human Infect" is the highlight, and has some nice riffs at the beginning. Still, there isn't anything here that hasn't been done before (and better) by other bands. It lacks the bite of Rorschach and Groundwork. It lacks the melodic ideas and song-writing of Florida contemporaries like Shai Hulud and Morning Again. The band's decision to jettison the best and heaviest parts of their sound resulted in something that sounds bland and inoffensive.

Sure, there is a stylishness to "When Love Would've Shown Interest in Us Both". There are lots of cool sounding shronky riffs and some impressive, artsy graphic design on the front cover. Ultimately though, I can't find much love in my heart for this one. I can't help feeling that Bird of Ill Omen dropped the ball here. Listen to “Self, Dare You Still Breathe…” instead.