I The Breather

Truth And Purpose

Written by: PP on 13/07/2012 21:49:24

Tired of metalcore bands essentially recycling the same formula over and over again? If so, skip this review, but if not, keep reading. I The Breather's sophomore album "Truth And Purpose" isn't at all original - it is Christian metalcore after all - but it should appeal to the fans of the old guard in metalcore more than the breakdown obsessed genericore of recent years. Here I'm talking of bands like As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, Darkest Hour, Miss May I (who are of course newer), and other bands who triumphed in the metalcore sound by avoiding meaningless breakdowns wherever possible and swear by dynamic guitars riffs and the flow of the song instead.

Ripping lead riffs and growled vocals, those you'll find aplenty on "Truth And Purpose". You'll have heard these same riffs of As I Lay Dying's "The Powerless Rise" and of course Miss May I's equivalent carbon copy of the sound, but at least I The Breather compensate with some fairly catchy semi-clean, scratchy chorus work. Songs like "Bruised & Broken", "False Profit", and "Meaning (Victory)" are all examples of songs that benefit from killer guitar leads and energy-driven verses contrasted by near-anthemic choruses. Of course, things never get quite as anthemic as with, say, The Ghost Inside, but we're definitely on the same level as As I Lay Dying's better songs from their later albums.

But of course I The Breather don't avoid breakdowns completely, what with being such a young band and all. There are a couple of brain-dead chug-chug sequences, but fortunately these are in the minority on an album that's otherwise dominated by the quality of the riff and instrumentation. If you ever liked Christian metalcore to start out with, I The Breather offer a nice, retrospective look at how metalcore used to sound like about 5-7 years ago, with a few modern touches to boot of course.

Download: Bruised & Broken, False Profit, Meaning (Victory)
For the fans of: As I Lay Dying, Texas In July, August Burns Red, Within The Ruins, Darkest Hour, Miss May I
Listen: Facebook

Release date 28.02.2012
Sumerian Records

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