FEAST FOR THE CROWS

The Germans have become quite skilled at pumping out quality metalcore, in large part it seems because the melodic death and thrash elements are much more pronounced compared, in many cases, to their American counterparts. Much like the better bands on Germany's largely metalcore label Lifeforce, FEAST FOR THE CROWS is an example of metalcore done right, here again because "When All Seems to be Burned" is more like a melodic thrash/death metal album with metalcore elements. When it comes right down to it, it is the periodic use of the breakdown (and most effectively so in this case) and the harsh vocals (like, for lack of a better term, a hoarse death growl) of Simon Kollat. Genre pigeonholing aside, "When All Seems to be Burned" is a well-written, well-played, and memorable collection of songs. There is not a weak track in the bunch.

What makes "When All Seems to be Burned" stand out to a fair degree is something that seems so obvious, but is only occasionally mastered by similar bands: the riff. The album is full of scorching axe work. Additionally, the solos and harmonies have a way of immediately sucking you in and carrying you along for the song's length. The mix of thrashy riffing and captivating leads, not to mention the punishing drumming of Moritz Jung, gives the disc one hell of a punch. Without good songwriting though, "When All Seems to be Burned" would be little more than an album with a lot of cool instrumentation. The hooks on most songs are strong, the album's first two tracks in particular ("Hope Dies Last" and "Take it Back") worthy of note. Though the spoken/yelled vocal parts that surface periodically on typical metalcore albums can be a tad grating, they are not a problem here and, in fact, work rather well in most cases. Some of those same parts will remind one of AGNOSTIC FRONT's Roger Miret.

Provided you are not expecting an album that expands the boundaries of the genre or soars to the top of year-end "best of" lists, "When All Seems to Be Burned" should prove to be a satisfying experience, whether or not you are a fan of metalcore. This one is a robust effort from a talented bunch of German youngsters.