From Ashes To New - Blackout
Released July 28, 2023
Danny Case, Matt Brandyberry, Lance Downdle, Mat Madiro
Genre: Rap Metalcore, Alt Metal
Intro
It's been a HOT minute since I've done a review. To celebrate me getting off my ass and trying to actually maintain this project, I'm gonna review a short and easy to review album. At only 12 songs, this album is pretty short but its straight bangers down the track list. That's a common theme with this band though, all they make are bangers. I saw these guys live a few weeks ago with Nothing More and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to. Anyways enough rambling and let's get into the review.
Thoughts & Feelings
This album makes me feel like A record label saw 10 great songs, and said they needed 12 for the record. 2 of these are not great compared to everything else here. However this album is great, without those 2 songs it would EASILY be an A- or A.
Smash Or Pass?
Heartache- SSMMAASSHH. Perfect opening track for the album. Rapped vocals over a growing, tension building instrumental before the breakdown. The mix of singing, screaming, and rapping used by this band gives for a unique sound especially combined with the mix of metal and trap instrumentals. A bit slower than most songs on this album but the heavy as fuck instrumental makes up for it.
Nightmare- SSSSMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH. GOLD MEDAL. I know that this is the big one off the album but its 100% justified, this song SLAPS. They opened the show with this and the venue went fucking insane for the rest of the set. The riff is simple but catchy, and the instrumental is heavy but not overbearing. THE BREAKDOWN IN THIS SONG IS WILD.
Hate Me Too- SSSMMMASSSHH. Another absolute banger as expected. Not much to say here its just a great song. Less screaming and no rap so its just a different feel.
Hope You're Happy- SMASH. This one is fine, nothing special but FAR from bad. THAT BREAKDOWN IS FUCKING SICK THOUGH. Doesn't make up for the rest of the song being mediocre but its a GREAT addition
Barely Breathing- SSMMASHH. Great slow start before moving back into the fast rap metal that should be expected. The chorus being used as a breakdown in the beginning is great and helps set the tone.
Dead To Me- SSSMMMMASSSHH. HEAVY AS FUCK OPENING. Slower, heavier, intense sound on this one as opposed to the fast rap metal, that being said the rapped vocals on this one are some of the best on the album.
Monster In Me- SMASH. This is just a rap song for the most part. WAYYYY too "falling in reverse" for me. With that being said though, this is MUCH better than ANY FIR song. The breakdown into the chorus is great, but not enough.
Echoes- SMASH. Another good, but generic sounding metalcore song, lacking what makes this band special. Again, not bad just generic. This is the closest thing to a "filler" track I can think of.
Armageddon- SSMMMASHH. PERFECT PICK UP AFTER THE LAST ONE. This one FINALLY has everything that makes this band great. THAT BREAKDOWN IS INSANE. This sounds like it should have been the title track. This song sounds EXACTLY like the album cover.
Legacy- SSSMMMASHHH. NOW THE ALBUM IS ON A HOT STREAK. This one again, has everything that makes this band good. The rapped vocals layered over the chorus gives a cool effect. This song is great again. The breakdown on this one is one of the best this band has ever made.
Until We Break- SMMASSSHH. ANOTHER BANGER. The feature from Matty of Memphis May Fire adds depth to the vocals, with the layering and harmonies sounding incredible. Another great song in this final stretch.
Broken By Design- SSSMMMMAAAAASSSHHHH. Shoutout Sum41, their song of the same name is great.. BUT THIS IS BETTER THIS SONG FUCKING SLAPS. This is the perfect closing track for this album, its loud, intense, but up beat and melodic at the same time. This is the band showing off, and it makes for a PERFECT closer.
Conclusion
This album is great. As stated in Thoughts and Feelings, without Monster In Me and Echoes, this album is an EASY A. Those 2 drag its ranking down however.
RANK: B
I know going from an A to a B because of 2 songs is a lot, but this is a short album. An entire 1/6 of this album is mediocre at best, and I make the rules so fuck you. With that though thanks for reading. Reviews will be more frequent soon hopefully, with a few S+ albums in the lineup. Any feedback or recommendations are always welcome and appreciated in the comments. Thanks for reading.
-Jake (JunosBestFriend)
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