The Color Morale

Hold On Pain Ends

Written by: MBC on 31/07/2015 00:22:17

As many reviews as we do in a year, sometimes a few albums are left from the year before that deserved to get reviewed but did not. One of these is the latest album from Illinois-based metalcore group The Color Morale, which came out in September. It is no coincidence that the abbreviation of the album title “Hold On Pain Ends” is H.O.P.E. This album consists of twelve emotional ‘hope-core’ songs that deal with heavy themes such as suicide, depression and substance abuse with the message that people battling inner demons are not alone. Unfortunately though, “Hold On Pain Ends” is a rather generic sounding metalcore/post-hardcore release from The Color Morale, albeit containing a few good songs and an overall great message.

Having previously been signed to Rise Records, H.O.P.E. is the band’s first album on Fearless Records and fourth album in total. They continue the direction they went in with “Know Hope” from 2013, which was a less heavy and more straight forward album compared to the band’s first two releases. On H.O.P.E. vocalist Garret Rapp has completely abandoned the growls that he previously used and is now exclusively focusing on switching between his clean pop-vocals and a sing-screamy approach. He sings in the genre-typical high pitch which he does well, but his vocal lines are mediocre and the melodies forgettable. The album contains plenty of poppy choruses for fans to sing along to, and the screamed verses are hard enough to make one’s head move, but in general this is formulaic stuff complete with bland, melodic riffs and breakdowns.

The album’s saving grace then is the lyrics. The previously mentioned emotionally heavy themes are constant throughout the album and seem to be more than a gimmick for the band. The Color Morale takes it audience seriously and there is a sense of honesty and integrity about the band that is quite appealing. It feels genuine when Rapp sings lyrics such as “Leave a mark upon the world, not across your arms, a mark upon the world too beautiful for scars. I can only hold up half the sky at one time and I got through today so I could help you sleep at night.” in “Scar Issue” or “You and I will always have this song, just like I know I had a reason to write it. It’s not just a breathless sing along. I will relive this so that you'll never have to feel alone.” in “Developing Negative”. If only these lyrics were delivered with stronger melodies and a more raw, aggressive attitude, H.O.P.E. might have been an amazing album.

7

Download: Outer Demons, Prey For Me, Scar Issue, Suicide;Stigma, Developing Negative
For the fans of: The Word Alive, Like Moths To Flames, Memphis May Fire, Silverstein, We Came As Romans
Listen: Facebook

Release date 02.09.2014
Fearless Records

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