Love And Death - Between Here And Lost

I wasn't a huge fan of Brian "Head" Welch's debut record. Save Me From Myself was decent but it didn't connect with me. I've found more to like about it over the years but it's still a nu-metal record that doesn't get a ton of play in my house. On the flip side, I loved Love and Death's debut ep, Chemicals. I was excited for the band's full-legnth. I was looking forward to record of the year material.

And Between Here and Lost is a good record. There's a lot to like. But something is lacking.

It starts when you press play. I think I would like The Abandoning, the album's lead single, if maybe it occupied a different spot on the record. Normally I like tracks that just throw you right into the deep end but something about Welch's vocals kicking in at the top doesn't work for me.

But then Whip It hits. I've gushed over how amazing Love and Death's cover of the Devo classic is, but man... The only way to describe the song is brilliant!!! Just an amazing cover!

Watching The Bottom Fall, By The Way, and Meltdown all have a similar vibe. Heavy ballads that in there own ways remind me of Demon Hunter. It's not a bad comparison and the songs are nice but back to back to back, it feels like you've been listening to the same song on repeat. And they all sound very different... So that's not a great thing.

I W8 4 U (So poorly titled and I have so much I hate about this) is an epic song. The intro reminds me of Welch's great work with Korn but the song is super heavy. Having Mattie Montgomery from For Today scream on the song helps kick it to another level. Best song on the record.

My Disaster and Fading Away remind of Korn. Plan and simple, they sound like Korn b-sides. Paralyzed and Chemicals we've all heard, and I like both of them. I wish they hadn't been placed back to back at the end of record because they are two of the better tracks on Between here and Lost.

Between Here and Lost isn't the album of year candidate I was hoping for. But it is a pretty killer heavy record. Nu-metal at it's finest (is that a thing?).

The Meltdown 103

New music from Spoken, Joy Electric, Soul Embraced, Overcome, and more.

Overcome - No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets.

Well it didn't take long for us to get the first great album of 2013.

The return of Overcome divided heavy music fans and based on people's reaction, I think you could gage the age of the listener pretty easily. The Great Campaign of Sabotage was raw and brutal. It sounded like Overcome picked right back up where they left off in 1998. And I think that took a lot of people by surprise. Not polished, sampled drums. Not super compressed and gated guitars. Not wide varying, pig squealed vocals. It was old school metalcore. And I loved every bit of it!

No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets picks up right where The Great Campaign of Sabotage left off and ratchets up the brutality.

Verum smacks you right in the face, and it's obvious that the band's status as underground legends is firmly intact. Overcome might not get the same recognition as Zao or Living Sacrifice, but they deserve it. Spirit and Flesh is a circle pit inducing hardcore song. The breakdown in the song is beautiful classic. Not the overdone breakdown you hear in every heavy song these days but a "simple" breakaway from the fast moving pace of the rest of the song. Travail and Indwelling both have great death metal elements to them (Indwelling possbeing a tribute to Stinson's short-lived death metal outfit of the same name).

The best part about No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets, is that it sounds like Overcome. The same Overcome that released The Great Campaign of Sabotage and more importantly, the same Overcome that released Blessed Are The Persecuted. Sure, Stinson's no longer on vocals and the recording technology is obviously upgraded, but Overcome brings a ferocity and packs a punch that metalcore has been missing for a long time!

The return of Overcome has been everything old school SFHC fans could've hope for and more. Hopefully No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets, will finally bring the band the acclaim they've deserved for a long time.

Everything In Slow Motion - Red 7"

After releasing their masterpiece, Give Me Rest, Hands decided to hang it up. It was a sad day but it was almost instantly followed up with the mysterious announcement of Everything In Slow Motion. The announcements just said the "band" was in studio working on something awesome. And I'm not sure anything could've prepared me for the band's debut 7" single, Red.

Everything In Slow Motion is the solo project of former Hand's front-man, Shane Ochsner, and his debut 7 inch picks up right where Give Me Rest left off.

The lead single and title track, Red, starts off with some atmospheric vocals before the driving bass line punches in. Ochsner's yell kicks in and his heartfelt cry hits home instantly as Ochsner screams "It is a broken world." As the song builds and crescendo's, I'm further drawn in and amazed at Ochsner's ability as a songwriter. Red is the perfect follow-up to the Give Me Rest.

Exosphere also starts with some great atmospherics before slamming in full. It's a slower, more ballady track and moves nicely between Ochsner's mournful screaming and singing. The balance is great and is more of an evolution to what we heard on Hand's swan song. It's a beautiful 6 minute journey.

Red is just a taste of what's to come as Shane has promised a full-legnth in 2013. Everything In Slow Motion is the next evolution of Hands and anyone who is having Hands withdraws needs to pick this record up stat!